What Am I To Do: A Naruto Self-Insert
by Sliksick
Summary: I don't know how, I don't know why, but it's too late to argue and figure it out. I somehow managed to get myself reborn as Naruto Uzamaki on the day the Kyūbi was sealed in him. Seeing no other alternative, I plan to take advantage of what I remember about the franchise and make my life as easy - and fun - as possible. Expect OC, AU, Crack, and everything in between.
1. How Did I Get Here?

**I am going to go say this right now: I am not a dedicated Naruto fan. I don't particularly care about which honorifics have to be used and when. I am not going to go out of my way to voice the characters as closely as possible to the source material, so expect OC's for those who really care about this. I am writing this because I can and because I wanted to try my hand at a 'Self Insert.' So in short, expect there to be changes, expect there to be crack at times, and expect there to be AU. But most importantly, expect this story to get weird.**

 **This piece is not for everyone. This is for me and me alone. If you like it – good. If you hate it – then just stay away. If I find you posting pointless reviews calling me who knows what, I will report you. If you leave reviews critiquing me and giving valid weaknesses of my story, I will accept them as they are and listen to your opinions.**

 **You have been warned.**

 **If you want to make suggestions, please PM me – this is crack so I will accept anything. Whether or not I use them is up to me and whether or not I can actually write it out.**

* * *

 _Owww…_

 _Why is it so loud…_

 _So much noise…_

 _Why is dark…_

 _Why don't I remember anything…_

 _Have to open my eyes…_

Slowly, gathering my strength, I opened my eyes to see a horrifying sight in front me.

I was in some sort of crib, surrounded by candles during the middle of the night. I didn't have strong enough peripheral vision to see the rubble around me, but what was right in front of me was terrifying enough.

It was two adults, a woman with a man behind her, with a giant claw going through both their abdomens. The claw was an arm's reach away from me, dripping blood on my forehead, entering my eyes.

I noticed my body, nude and small. My fingers, tiny, still covered in afterbirth.

 _Was… was I just born?_

I looked at the woman. She had blood-red hair, violet eyes of royalty, and was wearing a gown of sorts. The man behind her had azure eyes, blond spike hair, and wore some kind of ceremonial battle garb.

I noted the claw impelling them, connecting to the paw of a giant fox in the near distance, staring at them in anger, with chains binding him. I noted that they somehow attached to the woman in front of me, made of a material I couldn't grasp.

Finally, I noticed something even more frightening in the middle of them all.

Shinigami.

I don't know how I knew what it was. I don't know how I, as a baby, was even able to comprehend everything around me.

It took me a moment to realize that everything around me was frozen.

 _No… not frozen._

Leaves slowly moved, the blood dripped from the claw almost nonchalantly, and silence seemed to stretch indefinitely, an echo of something behind it all.

I focused back on the Shinigami. Its white kimono did nothing to hide its purple skin, red horns, and wild white hair. Its demented eyes stared at me, its head tilting despite the slowness of everything around me. It looked upon me like an owl on the ledge of a tree, and I mirrored, not understanding what was transpiring.

I noted something floating in front of the Shinigami, something that was vaguely humanoid. And yet, a fox head was sticking from its shoulder, with a knife right above where the Shinigami was going to cut it off.

" _ **You should not be here.**_ _ **"**_

I looked around, not understanding who was speaking.

" _ **You should not be here.**_ _ **"**_

I suddenly realized that it was the Shinigami speaking to me.

Its voice was terrifying.

It felt like the wind caressing your skin in the death of night, the cold shivering you to the bone, with the promise of terror on the very edge of your senses.

" _Why… why shouldn't I be here?"_

I tried to speak, but I could only think and hope that it reached the spirit.

" _ **Your tama was not cleansed completely… your body and spirit have moved on… but your mind remains… that is not how it is supposed to be…**_ _ **"**_

" _Tama… that's Japanese for 'soul.' But how do I know that?"_

A sharp pain struck my head. I cringed as images flashed before my eyes, showing me things I couldn't recognize but somehow understood…

" _ **Your tama should have been cleansed in the cycle of reincarnation. Perhaps the blood of the**_ _ **Kyūbi**_ _ **did something to you… It matters not… The soul of Minato Namikaze has been offered, and it shall be claimed…**_ _ **"**_

" _Minato…"_

The name finally clicked, and everything dropped into place.

" _Cycle of Reincarnation… Kyūbi… Minato Namikaze… This is the world of 'Naruto'…"_

I don't know how I knew all of this. It was as if I was reciting something from a book, or in this case, a manga. The words felt empty – even hollow.

But I knew about this world.

I knew what would transpire in years to come.

I knew what tonight – October 10th - was.

I knew who **I** was…

I knew who I was **supposed** to be.

" _That makes that woman in front of me Kushina Uzumaki, which makes me Naruto… How do I know this…?"_

As if answering my call, my mind flashed more images for me to see. As they progressed, knowledge entered my mind.

I suddenly remembered everything about the manga and all information peripheral to it. There were gaps to be sure, but the majority of still made sense to me.

Especially what was about to transpire.

" _Minato is about to seal all of the_ _Kyūbi's_ _Yin chakra within himself, leaving me with the Yang, which negatively impacted Naruto's training and made dealing with Kurama almost impossible. It took the resurrection of his father during the Fourth Shinobi War for Naruto to become complete and use his powers as a Jinchūriki in its entirety."_

I watched as the Shinigami slowly arched his hand back, knife ready to cleave. I turned to see that the toad summoned to hold the Seal Spell Key has already left, if the smoke was any indication. I stared at my hand – as tiny as it was – noticing that I could grab the claw in front of me.

" _No… this will not be… I managed to retain this much… I know what will come… I shall not live that life… Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki shall not be disadvantaged… this is my story to write, not his to live."_

* * *

Kushina stared down at her newborn child, her love strong despite the sensation of life leaving her, almost overpowering her consciousness. Minato just dismissed his summon and told her that they didn't have much time before he finished sealing her in Naruto's seal.

"Don't be a picky eater… Eat a lot… and grow well… Make sure… to bathe every day… and stay warm… and… Don't stay up late… Get… Plenty of sleep… Plus… Make friends… You don't need tons… Okay…?! Just a few… that you can really trust…! And… Your Ma was bad at this… but study hard and learn your ninjutsu…!"

She kept talking, teaching and imparting as much as she could on her newborn as possible. It all slipped her mind in the last moments, her weakness was just too much, not recalling what she just said in the end.

Eventually, Minato took over.

"Naruto… My words to you as your father…. Is fit to your loquacious mother… I guess…"

He sensed the Shinigami preparing to cut his soul. The Nine-Tails continued to thrash behind him, not wanting to be sealed once more.

Peace was descending on both of them, their eyes slowly drifting to close themselves and move on.

That was until he saw his son open his eyes and grab the Nine-Tails claw with his hand.

The shock of this quickly awoke the two new parents, as did the sound of the Shinigami pausing. A glow seemed to come from the child, one that stretched from him, through the claw, passing through them both, all the way to the Nine-Tails behind them…

Minato turned his head, looking at the specter behind him.

" _ **If this is what you truly desire… the exchange can be made…**_ _ **"**_

"Minato…" asked Kushina.

"I… I don't understand… I sealed part of the Kyūbi already… who is making the exchange?"

" _ **The bargain is struck and finalized… I wait to see what you plan to do with this in the future…**_ _ **"**_

Minato felt the glow pull back, dragging the remaining half of the Kyūbi into his son. But before he could calm himself, he felt the other half within him get dragged in as well. Before he got a chance to complain, he felt something else leave him and enter his wife, as well as something exiting her and entering him.

Neither parent got a chance to ask what transpired when the Eight Trigram Seal formed on his son… and the Shinigami finished his slash.

* * *

Hiruzen and the ninja behind him quickly jumped into the clearing where the Kyūbi once stood. He didn't know what happened in the moments before the fox was sealed, but the shock he noticed on his successors face indicated that something went wrong.

As he looked around, one of his ANBU called him, "Sarutobi-sama, you have to see this."

Hiruzen approached the now dead couple laying on the ground. He quickly noted that each of them – Minato, Kushina, and Naruto – had a seal on their stomachs.

Quickly taking charge, he commanded his troops. "Everyone, gather the dead and look for survivors. Someone send a report to see which family heads are still alive and which were replaced – call them in for an emergency meeting immediately. As of this moment, everything that has transpired here is an S-rank secret, is that understood?"

"YES, SIR!" Shouted the ANBU around him.

One stood forward, "What should we tell the meeting is about?"

Hiruzen walked past them, lifting Naruto and covering him up, "Damage assessment, damage control, and me taking back my title."

"You mean…"

Hiruzen started walking away, "As of this moment, I am resuming my role as the Third Hokage. NOW MOVE OUT!"

* * *

It was still a sewer.

I honestly thought that since it was me and not Naruto that it would be something else. That, and it was believed that it was Naruto's abused life that led to such grim mental state.

I quickly noted that I was a flying orb of light since I couldn't feel my feet being wet due to the water below me.

I then quickly realized that I didn't know what I was supposed to look like.

It was all very disconcerting.

I had knowledge of things I wasn't supposed to know. I saw images of a life I had before, and yet I felt no attachment to in any way. I saw people who were once my friends, my family, my children, my wife and yet, I felt… nothing.

I don't even know how I am supposed to look like. In the place of where I would most likely be in my memories was just an empty void or white space.

All questions for later.

I slowly floated along the path in front of me. Eventually, I heard it – the sound of something getting up and observing it environment.

" **Owww… my head… what hit me…"**

" _Huh, not what I expected to hear from the mighty Kyūbi."_

I floated toward the bars at the end of the tunnel. I noted the tag with the kanji of 'seal' written on it, quickly recalling that the actual lock was behind it and the key was on the 'belly' of a frog summon.

I floated through the bars, my small form allowing me to do so, until I reached the bijū.

He was big.

No, he really was – the manga didn't do him justice.

Maybe it was because I managed to get both halves in me before the Shinigami finished, but still…

Otherwise, he was what I expected. Blood red eyes and dark orange-red fur, giant nine tails, human-shaped front paws, claws strong enough to destroy mountains – I assumed.

I floated above him until he finished rubbing his head and looked around. " **Tch… what is it with my vessels? First, there was Mito and her never-ending void, then Kushina with her empty room and now this sewer! And worst, I have to deal with this until the kid comes and visits me in a few years."**

"Or now. Do you have a preference for something else, Kyūbi?"

The fox quickly looked at the orb of light floating near his nose. He paused, almost as if waiting for his thought to catch up. He promptly snarled, " **Who are you?"**

I thought about this, "I guess for all intended purposes, I am Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki, or rather, I am what was supposed to **be** Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki."

The bijū's anger was quickly replaced by shock, followed by curiously, " **What do you mean 'supposed' to be?"**

"Based on what the Shinigami told me, my cleansing during reincarnation was incomplete. Now, what would you prefer your prison to be? I have enough presence of mind to make anything, but I would prefer your input."

" **You… you are serious? Don't you know who I am, what I have done?"**

I looked at the ground in thought, realizing that I didn't have a face or body to indicate such behavior. "I both do and don't. I have knowledge of what happened and why you were released, but I feel no connection to it like I should. I know that you were released by one called Obito Uchiha under the orders of Madara. I know that you were forced to destroy the village against your volition because you were commanded by the Sharingan. I know that you wanted to be left alone and yet were somehow dragged into the whole issue of balancing world powers through jinchūriki. Is there anything I missed?"

If the bijū could show even more surprise at this moment then before, he tried. Unfortunately, his brain failed. " **Make it in a forest or something… Put a mountain somewhere for me to sleep in…"**

I floated away, deciding to give him time to gather his thought about what I just said. Slowly, I began to force the environment around me to change. Gone where the walls and dank smell. Gradually, I formed a sky above my head. I created a large clearing that stretched for miles. In one corner I made a vast forest, in another, I made a mountain. In another corner, I made a sea of freshwater. The last corner I left alone for now, merely continuing the grassland I already formed in the center but with various flowers and the like.

Taking advantage of the confused bijū as he stared at his suddenly morphing prison, I raised the cage into the air and slowly bend it into a necklace that was once worn by the Sage of Six Paths. I somehow managed to put the lock behind the larger middle magatama – the how was still beyond me, but I carried on. I clasped the necklace around the fox's neck, destroying the mechanism to do so, leaving only the seal as the method of removal.

I figured he would try to rip it off immediately, but it seemed like the sight of his father's necklace shocked the bijū.

He stared at me, confusion evident, yet angry slowly creeping through his snarl, " **What are you!? How did you know about this?"**

"I know of it the same way I know that you and your siblings were once part of the Jūbi, which was the embodiment of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki merged with the God Tree, which was formed to reclaim the chakra of Hamura and Hagoromo, your father. I know it the same way I know your name… Kurama."

Silence.

Kurama actually fell down on the ground, the shock apparently too much for him. " **Fa… Father? Is that you?"**

"Oh Kami no! He is somewhere else, I think in another dimension, waiting for the reincarnations of Asura and Indra… which I guess won't be anytime soon since I replaced Asura."

" **Replaced? Wait… you are a reincarnated soul?"**

"Actually, if we are being precise, I am technically a cross-dimensional reincarnation… unless all realities are linked to one Ame and Yomi in an endless cycle of reincarnation and rebirth."

I noted that if anime-sweat tears where possible, one would be on top of Kurama's head right about now. The giant fox slowly crouched down to the ground, looking to where my eyes would be. " **Well, I guess that makes things easier to understand. You just skipped one of the Saisei Haraes."**

"The what?"

Kurama lifted himself up, sat down and crossed his arms, " **Don't take my word for it, but what I understand from the religion in these parts, when a tama is prepared for reincarnation, it must be cleansed through the five Go Haraes before being sent down to the mortal plane. The Shi Harae to cleanse you of your death. The Karada Harae to remove your previous living shell. The Seishin Harae to detach you from all past attachments and possessions. The Maindo Harae to separate your from your past knowledge to not cloud your future decisions. Finally, there is the Tenji Harae, which one goes through to be born into the world."**

I pondered this, "Based on that description, you think I somehow skipped the Maindo Harae since I still possess knowledge from my past life but no attachment to it nor my previous form."

Kurama nodded, " **It would explain why you can talk with me like an adult and yet be a simple ball of chakra in front of me. Frankly, it's the first time I have seen such a thing."**

"But that makes no sense… Shinto doesn't have these Haraes from what I can recall…"

Kurama raised a finger, " **Different realities, different beliefs, different interpretations. If what you say is true, then the afterlife can be literally interpreted in any way possible. What I told you is what is believed in the Elemental Nations. Now, can you explain what you said earlier?"**

I considered sugar coating the truth but figured honesty was the best policy here. "Do you have manga here?"

" **Yes…"** said Kurama worryingly, almost as if anticipating the direction of where the explanation was about to go.

"In my previous life, when I was a child, I read a manga called 'Naruto.' It was very popular during its time. It followed the life of one Naruto Uzumaki as he grew up in the Village Hidden in the Leaves and his journey to become a ninja."

" **Oh, Kami…"** sighed Kurama as he slapped his forehead.

"In all fairness, it's very possible that the mangaka was simply a seer who observed this reality or was reincarnated from an alternative form of this one."

Kurama peaked through one of his finger cracks, " **I am afraid to ask, but I can only guess that is how you know my name and the formation of my siblings?"**

"Indeed."

Kurama sighed, " **Is it also why you currently don't fear me?"**

"Actually, that is more to do with the fact you are complete. Granted, I was anticipating something much worse since you were depicted rather differently in the story, but I have a theory regarding that. In the manga, only your Yang was sealed inside Naruto. But since Yang was your primal and emotional nature, it was the actual container of all your negativity regarding your imprisonment and misuse rather by humans rather than your Yin as Minato expected – I am guessing. Because of this, Naruto could only access your power through strong negative emotions, mainly anger, rage, and pain. As he was a very happy child – albeit misguided and rather dense at times – that made the process very difficult and detrimental to him, as he didn't have your Yin half to pacify the corrosive effects of your chakra. Also, since you wouldn't cooperate with him, it took until the start of the Fourth Shinobi World War for you to cooperate with him. To avoid this, I managed to convince the Shinigami to seal both halves within me. Since you are whole, I believe that is the reason why you are coherent, cognizant, and in total control of your emotions and not a wild animal as it were. My knowledge of your past and such may have played a role to gain your trust, but I don't have the ability to determine that. Hence why you didn't outright dismiss my knowledge of you or the fact that I was a reincarnated soul from a different world."

Kurama sighed, " **Makes sense.** **I know myself better than most so I can kind of guess how I would react in such a situation. I am a stubborn bastard on the best of days and hold grudges for centuries. What did you seal in your… I mean, Naruto's parents?"**

"Each other's souls."

Kurama raised a brow, " **Why?"**

"I have my reasons."

" **Does it have something to do with what happens later on?"**

"Yes."

Kurama tapped his foot, " **I can only assume that you're going to actively change certain events in the near future?"**

I pondered this. "Under normal circumstances, I would avoid this since causing significant changes in the timeline would make my knowledge of the future worthless. However, since I already took in your Yin half from my father – boy that feels weird to say – I have already altered things. No, I plan to make significant changes to make my life and the life of others easier."

" **Others?"**

"I am going to live in this world till my passing. Just because I am **not** the Naruto Uzumaki that was supposed to be in this world, it doesn't mean that I can't live my life as **a** Naruto Uzumaki."

Kurama nodded his head, " **Fair enough – better get used being called Naruto then. Anything specific you want to change?"**

I recalled all my knowledge of the franchise, thinking about all the things that happened early on in Naruto's life. "In about 3 years and 3 months, the Hyūga Affair will happen, which will cause lasting damage to the clan that will take over a decade to heal. I don't care that it may end the war between Kumogakure and Konohagakure peacefully – I am doing this because it will affect my environment for the better if the clan is better off."

" **Being a little critical and detached there, aren't you?"**

"I may have a working understanding of the future, but I have no attachment to those it pertains, since I lack the capability to currently do so. I mean, sure, maybe I'll get to know them and form connections later on, but for now, I am considering my immediate future, not the village's."

Kurama nodded in understanding. The spirit in front of him was purely a mind aspect – no sprit or body to cloud its logical thought process. " **What else?** "

"The Uchiha Clan Downfall comes to mind."

This caught Kurama's attention as he was never a fan of the clan. **"Downfall?"**

"A better term is a massacre, but it was referred to as an incident instead by the Civilian Council. It all started after you were forced to attack the village. Konohagakure's leadership began to suspect that the Uchiha were behind the attack due to the Sharingan's ability to control you, so they were all placed under close surveillance in one section of the village. This mistrust and isolation from the rest of the village created feelings of ill-will amongst the Uchiha, and ultimately rekindled the hatred harbored towards the Senju-influenced government. As such, the Uchiha — led by Fugaku Uchiha — began planning a coup d'état to overthrow the Konoha leadership."

" **So Indra's Curse of Hatred still lives on to this day."**

"To be fair, Madara only recently passed on and is indirectly responsible for the massacre."

" **HOW? What does it take to kill the guy!"** shouted Kurama. If his math was right, Madara lived for well about a century.

"According to the manga, he was very prepared. After his death during his fight against Hashirama, a scheduled Izanagi activated sometime afterward, changing reality to bring him back to life in exchange for his right eye's vision. He left a copy in place of his real body and went into hiding with a mouthful of Hashirama's flesh that he transplanted into his wounds. It was not until decades later, towards the end of his life, that the cells awakened the Rinnegan, in the process restoring his right eye. With the Rinnegan, he was able to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, which he used to cultivate a mindless living clone of Hashirama from which he believed he had produced a White Zetsu Army."

Kurama tilted his head, " **Zetsu? Izanagi?"**

"Oh right, you don't know. Wow, this is going to get complicated real fast. Remember Kaguya?"

Kurama snarled. **"Only from the stories my father told my siblings and me."**

Oh right, he was made after the whole fiasco. "Well, before she was sealed away, she created Black Zetsu, a physical manifestation of her will. He would then approach Indra alone periodically, goading him with praises and curiosity towards Indra's true potential, even going so far as to say he could rival, if not surpass his father. When Hagoromo later named his younger son, Asura, as the new leader of Ninshū, Black Zetsu tempted Indra to go to war with his younger brother. He then decided that Indra's descendants, the Uchiha, would be the main cast of the shinobi history it was creating and also modified Hagoromo's tablet to claim that among other things, the Infinite Tsukuyomi would be the Uchiha's salvation. Over the centuries, it manipulated the two brothers' reincarnations in an attempt to get one to awaken the Rinnegan, and also recorded many events for Kaguya, including Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju's last fight at the Valley of the End."

" **Oh, my Kami Kai."**

"It gets worse. When Madara had seemingly created White Zetsu and its clone siblings, it was actually Black Zetsu pulling the transformed humans from Kaguya's Infinite Tsukuyomi out of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, merging them with the essence of the Hashirama plant clone Madara created to give them a diluted Wood Release. When Madara was on the verge of death, he believed he had created Black Zetsu by imbuing his will into half of White Zetsu, and that the complete Zetsu was partially his clone. Zetsu later accompanied Obito Uchiha to Amegakure to locate Nagato – an Uzamaki survivor - who had unknowingly been given Madara's Rinnegan as a child, and watched as Obito introduced himself as Madara Uchiha."

Kurama tilted his head, " **Obito?"**

I nodded – or moved up and down in the air – in response, "Obito Uchiha, the most un-Uchiha member since… ever. It relates all back to Madara. Over the years before and after getting the Rinengan, Madara had perfected his plan for peace in what he called the 'Eye of the Moon Plan.' The plan consisted of projecting the Infinite Tsukuyomi on the moon in order to trap the entire world in a dream, thus saving mankind from destroying itself but also at the price of robbing free will from the whole world. Whether or not he came up with it initially or was whispered it by Black is beyond the point.

As his years waned, Madara knew he couldn't complete his plans in the time he had left. So he transplanted his Rinnegan into a young Nagato without the boy's knowing, intending Nagato to someday use the eyes to restore Madara to life. If Nagato was to do this, however, Madara believed he would need an agent to act on his behalf and guide Nagato towards this ultimate goal. Madara waited, connecting himself to Demonic Statue to keep himself alive until someone could be found. He spent this time keeping a close eye on Konoha to find a suitable pawn to take his place.

During the Third Shinobi World War, Madara found a severely injured Obito Uchiha. He used Hashirama's cells to replace Obito's damaged extremities and placed a Forbidden Individual Curse Tag in Obito's heart as a fail-safe in case Obito ever turned against him. Until then, Madara began working towards corrupting Obito. He did this by having Kirigakure kidnap the girl Obito loved, Rin Nohara, and seal the Sanbi into her. He then manipulated events so that Rin would die at the hand of Obito's friend, Kakashi Hatake, while Obito watched. Driven to despair by this sight, Obito offered his services to Madara. He then divulged to Obito the history of the Sage of the Six Paths and the Jūbi, the details of his Eye of the Moon Plan, and various techniques that Obito would need moving forward. As a final act, he left behind Black Zetsu — who he believed at this point to be a manifestation of his will — to provide additional guidance to Obito in pursuit of this goal. With that, Madara disconnected from the Demonic Statue and, with his dying breath, entrusted Obito with his name."

Kurama's eyes bulged, " **Wait…"**

"Yes – Obito was both the one who controlled you and killed off most of the Uchiha during the massacre – all in Madara's name."

Kurama rubbed his eyes, " **Anything else I should know regarding what basically comes to the entirety of the Uchiha history being puppets on strings?** "

"Good analogy. Well, there's also two White Zetsu of interest, one fused to Obito called Tobi and the other fused with Black, but that's neither here nor there. Let me get back to the massacre."

Kurama rubbed his temple, waving his hand in a wave motion to go on.

"In preparation for the coup, the Uchiha started inserting its member within Konoha's command structure to act as spies. Itachi Uchiha was placed in the ANBU, the direct arm of the Hokage. However, Itachi did not agree with the Uchiha's plans, believing the coup would only escalate into another Shinobi World War."

" **Huh, I could have told you that. The boy was always near Mikoto who was friends with Kushina, so I know he didn't have it in him – he was a pacifist at his core."**

This got my attention, "You knew what was happening outside of your seal?"

" **It was tricky at times but yes. I can only assume you will give me greater access to the outside world?"**

"Among other things. Now, back to Itachi. Due to his beliefs, he turned double-agent, providing Konoha with information on the Uchiha's plans. Hiruzen, who did not agree with the treatment of the Uchiha following your attack on the village, tried to find a peaceful resolution with the clan. Danzō Shimura, however, did not believe negotiations would solve anything and felt eliminating all the Uchiha would cause the least bloodshed."

" **Oh for Kami's sake, HE got involved too? Wasn't trying to manipulate Kushina in the ANBU not enough?"**

"Wait, Kushina Uzumaki was an ANBU? Since when?"

This actually got Kurama curious, " **Was she not in the manga? Odd. She wasn't in it for long since Danzō kept trying to get his claws into her to put her in Root, but Hiruzen and then Minato got him to back off. She still left ANBU and began using her Fūinjutsu skills to benefit the village. Anything I need to know about Danzō?"**

"It will come up. Now, where was I? Oh right. The Uchiha noticed Itachi's strange behavior and tasked Shisui Uchiha with keeping an eye on him. Shisui, a close friend of Itachi, shared his opposition to the coup. When peace talks started to break down due to Obito's interference, Shisui attempted to use his Mangekyō Sharingan's Kotoamatsukami to force the Uchiha's leaders to change their minds. Danzō felt this was a waste of Kotoamatsukami's rare usage and took Shisui's right eye for himself before Shisui had a chance to use it. Having failed and fearful that Danzō would take his other eye, Shisui entrusted his left eye to Itachi before committing suicide, in turn activating Itachi's Mangekyō Sharingan. After finding his body, the Uchiha believed Shisui had, in fact, been murdered by Itachi and the suicide was staged, and, as such, no longer trusted him. Again, whether or not this was due to Obito's manipulations is beyond my knowledge."

" **You keep mentioning a lot of abilities of the Sharingan I never heard of, kid. Give me some context."**

"First, I am not a kid – I was a grandfather before I died. Anyway, different Uchiha's had different specific focuses to their Mangekyō Sharingan, usually relating as to what activated them. But there are two abilities that could be activated by any Uchiha even in its basic form at the cost of one eye. Izanami traps the victim in an infinite loop disregarding the target's five senses, specifically designed as a reprimand for those who would abuse Izanagi. Izanagi allows the user to warp reality for a short time, changing reality into illusion and illusion into reality, thus escaping death and rewriting destiny."

Kurama whistled, " **Damn, Izanagi seems like the more dangerous one of the kinjutsu."**

"So did Danzō, which is why he had Orochimaru transplant an arm with several Sharingan implanted in it, along with Hashirama's cells he had in storage to activate them in time of need. Thankfully, he only gets the arm sometime after Orochimaru becomes a missing-nin but before he gets Shisui's eye, so there's a grace period there."

Kurama's jaw dropped, " **His left arm cast? I am really missing a lot here if he is somehow working with Orochimaru. He also put in Shino's eye… what did you call the ability?"**

"Kotoamatsukami. I don't know if it was specific to Shisui or not, but I do know that Danzō used it to manipulate the Civilian and Ninja Council, as well as most likely influence Hiruzen's decisions when he got it. The technique allows the user to enter the mind of any individual within their field of view, and manipulate them by giving them false experiences, making it seem as if they were doing things of their own free will. Thankfully, Shisui didn't have it in him to abuse it, and his devotion to the village was greater than to the clan. If I get the chance, I am making sure he stays alive – no one else ever had the ability, so I think he was a unique case. Are you aware of the Sharingan's other forms and abilities?"

Kurama started counting off his fingers, " **Well there is the Mangekyō and the Eternal variant. There's the Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, and the Susanoo. Anything I am missing here?"**

"The ability to read and decode the Uchiha Clan's Stone Tablet?"

" **Didn't you say that it was altered?"**

I shook myself side to side, "Only the Sharingan parts. Obito didn't know this, but the Rinnegan part wasn't affected by the alteration by Black Zetsu, so the truth is still written there. Back to the massacre. Although he still wanted to find a non-violent solution, Shisui's death convinced Itachi that events could no longer be stopped, so he became outwardly critical of the clan's actions and hostile towards individual members. Danzō, aware of Itachi's conflicted feelings, explained the two possible outcomes. Either the Uchiha could be allowed to carry out their coup, an act that would ultimately lead to the entire clan's extermination, including his brother, or Itachi could assassinate the Uchiha before the coup took place, and in exchange would be allowed to spare Sasuke's life. Guess which option he chose? I'll give you three guesses, and two don't count."

" **He was given an impossible choice."**

"I do not question it, I am only retelling what I know. Before carrying out the massacre, Itachi found Tobi - the name Obito went by - sneaking around the village. Believing he was the real Madara Uchiha bent on destroying Konoha, Itachi offered to help him take revenge against the Uchiha for betraying him decades earlier if he would spare the village. Tobi agreed to this; however, Tobi also met with Danzō around the same time for unknown purposes – I can only assume that it related to the eyes Danzō had implanted in his arm somehow."

" **Makes sense – mangaka can't write everything or have access to all that transpired, so its guesswork."**

I nodded in agreement. "In a single night, Itachi and Tobi slaughtered the entire Uchiha clan, Tobi the military portion and Itachi the civilian portion. Itachi expected Fugaku to be the greatest enemy and entered his home with great caution but to his complete surprise, both his parents were willing to accept death rather than fight their son. Both respected his decision to side with the village over the clan and asked only that he look after Sasuke. He tearfully killed them just before Sasuke returned home from the Academy. Although he knew his actions were necessary, Itachi could not forgive himself for killing his own family and believed he had to be punished. Sasuke, a child at the time and thus ignorant of the Uchiha's conspiracies, was the only person qualified to pass judgment on Itachi he felt he deserved. As such, Itachi attacked Sasuke when he entered the house, desperate to make Sasuke believe he had killed their clan without provocation and for selfish pursuits of power. He used Tsukuyomi to torment Sasuke with images of the clan's murder and claimed Sasuke was too weak to even bother killing. Itachi encouraged Sasuke to embrace hatred and vengeance in order to get stronger and to come after and kill him to avenge their family. Unfortunately, since at this point the real Madara has passed on, Sasuke became Indra's reincarnation. Neither Obito nor Black Zetsu were aware of this. The mental trauma pushed the Curse of Hatred on the boy too soon."

Kurama could guess where this was going. **"How bad was it?"**

"Let's put it this way – he became Orochimaru's willing disciple, absorbed him at some point, killed Danzō, interrupted a Kage meeting… You know what, he basically changed sides five times before getting involved in the Fourth Shinobi World War in a span of three to four years. He was messed up, okay?"

Kurama breathed out, " **Go on."**

"Itachi reported the mission's success to the Third Hokage. The Third, having been unaware of Itachi's assignment from Danzō, regretted to hear the news. With nothing to be done about it now, the Third promised to perpetuate the cover story that Itachi had acted alone and without cause so that nobody would learn of the Uchiha's plans, and also so that Konoha would not be tarnished for its involvement. Most important to Itachi, the Third vowed to keep Sasuke safe from Danzō. The Third also ordered the dissolution of Danzō's Root and his removal from the council as punishment for acting without his permission. The removal stuck, but Root just went further underground – whether or not Hiruzen was aware of this was never really specified. Itachi then left the village, joining the Akatsuki to reinforce his image as a criminal. In actuality, he monitored Akatsuki from the inside, reporting directly to Jiraiya, keeping Konoha informed of its actions and preventing the organization from moving against the village. Itachi also threatened to reveal all of Konoha's confidential information to foreign forces should Danzō bring harm to Sasuke. He maintained the charade to his death by Sasuke, although his sickness would have killed him anyway. Unfortunately, since Obito managed to twist the truth of what happened on the day of the massacre when he was telling it to Sasuke…"

" **Yeah, yeah, he brainwashed Sasuke some more, I get it. But damn, if there was a more honorable and loyal shinobi in history, one doesn't come to mind."**

"I intend to make sure that it doesn't come to that. The problem here is carrying out the changes."

" **How so?"**

"For one thing, I don't know when it happens. I know it occurred after Naruto started the Academy but before he graduated. That's a rather big window. I mean, I can maybe remove two years since Sasuke was an emo for a while at that point, but that still gives me a range from 6 to 10 years old. In all fairness, I want to say 10 since at that point Itachi would be 15, more than old enough."

Kurama nodded in understanding," **So the execution is the problem here?"**

"Indeed. I only suspect Obito's involvement in instigating the coup, like I suspect that Danzō somehow constantly reminded the village of Naruto's – or I guess, my – roll in your attack upon the village. I mean seriously, hatred just doesn't last that long without rekindling the embers – unless you are an Uchiha."

" **Wouldn't be outside of the realm of possibility. Be an easy way to break you down and force you into Root."**

"Thought the same thing. In any case, I have to do it without raising Obito's suspension nor get caught by Danzō doing it. I have something in mind, but it's a stretch at best."

" **We will strategize later and plan something. Anything else you need to do?"**

"Ummm… Nothing comes to mind."

" **Speaking of which, how are you so easily able to recall all of this?"**

This gave me pause. "The only theory that comes to mind that since I am all that is left of my purification, without the soul and body to hinder me, I have perfect recall – for now at least. I don't know what will happen as I merge with the infant's tama and become diluted."

Kurama frowned, **"That is worrisome. We have to ensure that your knowledge doesn't go to waste. Even if you change the timeline, you have access to information not available elsewhere. This means that we have three years to plan out. Anything else?"**

I checked all the information I had about the 'Naruto' Universe, eventually coming to a decision. "I need you to leak more of your chakra into my system."

Kurama raised a brow, " **Pardon?"**

"Before, Naruto had only your Yang to work with, and he had issues because of it. Granted, he wasn't the brightest of kids, but still – I am working with everything here. Plus, I doubt a normal three year old will have the physical capabilities necessary to save a child from a kidnapping."

" **Ah, so you want me to jumpstart your development."**

"Only enough to get me physically capable of carrying it out. It's not like you will have an issue with this – I am going to give you free access to my senses and chakra coils, and you can make sure I don't die from chakra poisoning."

Kurama thought it other, " **It should be easy enough. The process will make it less difficult for you to use my chakra in the future, plus it may give you better chakra control over all. However, you realize that such a process will… alter you?"**

"Doesn'tmatter: Hiruzen will make sure I stay safe, and Danzō will still find a way to screw me over. I can only hope that the changes I make prevent the worse of it. Plus, Kakashi and the other ANBU will protect me."

Kurama chuckled, " **So you have it all figured out, don't ya?"**

"Not really – I am ball-parking it since I have been alive for literally an hour at best."

That caused Kurama to laugh, " **Well alright then. Let's get started."**

Kurama got his hands – paws? – in a ram seal and started to push out his chakra into the air. I sighed – however best I could – realizing that I basically gave a bijū free-reign to alter his container as best he sees fit. I knew that Naruto was basically me now, but I guess I still haven't really built the association in my mind. Honestly, I just hope this doesn't have any other far-reaching consequences.

* * *

 _A few days later…_

Hiruzen sat at his table, finishing up paperwork that only days ago was being handled by his successor.

He looked out the window, noting that despite the sunny day and the rebuilding currently happening outside, there was a dark miasma in the air, a feeling of sorrow and dread, with tones of anger.

The funerals took days to complete, with Minato and Kushina buried in the end with the entire village in attendance. In fairness, they were barely separately as only a few knew that they were married in secret, but they were buried next to each other. They didn't know why both of them had seals on them, but Hiruzen managed to make it an S-class secret anyway. Only a few people knew that they even had them, as the morticians managed to cover it up with make-up and dark clothes.

He sighed, thinking about the Council Meeting that took place later between the Civilian and Ninja Heads; he could have handled it better. Despite strongly stating that Naruto was the Kyūbi's jailer and not the fox itself, the civilians ignored it all. The fools – they worked with ninjas for a living and yet they couldn't distinguish a kunai from a storage scroll.

Keeping Naruto's heritage hidden made it more difficult, but Hiruzen suspected that some clans knew. The Uchiha's undoubtedly since Mikoto was friends with Kushina. The Nara's will figure it out soon enough, which means the heads of Akimichi and Yamanaka will know as well. The Inuzuka's will smell it out one way or another, and the Aburame's bugs will detect the chakra similarities to the Fourth, who they owe their allegiance to for showing the village their usefulness. True, there were other smaller clans in the village, but only the most powerful represented the ninja populace as a whole in the meetings, so Hiruzen had nothing to worry about.

All he really had to deal with was the people of his village not killing Naruto in their hatred and ignorance of the given.

His first assassination attempt actually took place at the meeting where his status as a jinchūriki was revealed; a civilian head who lost his family to the Kyūbi attack jumped right up to the podium with a kunai. Thankfully, an ANBU stopped him. It's been days since then, and the civilians were calling for the infants head. The ninja were less outspoken, but Hiruzen knew that there were those among them who wanted to do the same. Ninja's they were, but victims of tragedy they were as well – grief blinds those of the truth in even the best of circumstances.

Hiruzen was so deep in thought that he missed his window opening up – the three ANBU hidden in his office didn't. They stopped as soon as they noticed the kanji with 'oil' written on the intruder's headband.

"Is it true, Sensei? Is it true what I heard about Minato? Is he…"

Hiruzen lowered his head, "I am afraid it is Jiraiya… Minato and Kushina are no more."

Tears started to form on the edges of Jiraiya eyes, which he quickly wiped away. "And… what of my godson? Is Naruto…?"

"I am afraid that is he is the new jinchūriki of the Kyūbi."

Jiraiya became serious, "And you summoned me to make sure that the information regarding his heritage and role didn't reach the ears of the other villages."

"That **was** one of the reasons why I called you. However, something… unusual… was discovered recently regarding Naruto."

Jiraiya panicked, "What's wrong with Naruto, Sensei?"

Hiruzen pointed to the crib in the corner of the room, "Perhaps you should see yourself. This was the only secure place I trusted with his well-being."

The Toad Sage walked over and looked down into the crib, noting the sleeping infant. Jiraiya smiled; he had his father's hair but his mother's face. The whisker marks were going to be a problem to explain but would definitely make him a babe-magnet in the future. His claws were going to be an issue…Wait…claws?

Jiraiya noted the hands. The nails were a little sharper than usual. Going on a hunch, he gently lifted the edge of Naruto's lips, finding a small **fang** growing on one side.

He slowly turned to his Sensei, who nodded in understanding. "We checked the seal twice before you arrived – there is no error, and the leakage is just as designed for the Eight Trigrams Seal by Minato and Kushina."

"But… but… he is a newborn! They are supposed to start teething at 6 months, not a week after birth!"

Hiruzen agreed, balancing his head on a pedestal made with his hands, "The claws and fangs can be explained away – the Inuzuka's have similar traits as well. Unfortunately, we can't risk that with Naruto, especially since I was forced to implement the law regarding his identity as a jinchūriki."

"That law is going to cause more trouble than its worth."

"It is the only way I could keep him safe without disclosing his identity as Minato's son."

Jiraiya sighed in understanding as he lifted Naruto's shirt and started analyzing the seal. After a few minutes, he put the shirt down. "I am sorry to say this Sensei, but the seal is flawless. There are no errors, no deviations, no alterations – nothing. The Kyūbi is securely sealed within Naruto."

"And yet, the fox seems to be influencing the boy's physical development – something I have never seen before or heard in any other jinchūriki."

Jiraiya crossed his arms, "To be fair, I heard that the Gobi and Yonbi in Iwagakure were rather large individuals – could that have anything to do with it?"

Hiruzen closed his eyes, "Well… the body would need to compensate for larger chakra coils with a stronger body but still…"

"Consider this," pointed out Jiraiya, "Kushina was sealed with the Kyūbi when she was already a small child – well past the age of development, like other jinchūriki as well. Plus, her seal was different from Naruto's. Maybe the combination of both factors is causing this?"

"I considered this in private while the clan heads were debating about who would take him in. Unfortunately, the medics and researchers I could trust couldn't discern anything."

"I can only assume that no clan is going to take the boy in due to the power imbalance it would cause?"

"Yes. The Aburame were rather… vocal in their displeasure regarding this despite understanding the circumstances involved."

"Can you blame them? It was Minato who managed to convince the ANBU and the Tracking-nin in their Kikaichū usefulness besides poisons and silk, expediting their acceptance as a major clan of Kohona into the Council."

Hiruzen chuckled, "Don't remind me; the Inuzuka heads still give me crap regarding that – said something about 'interfering with their turf.'"

Jiraiya smiled before becoming serious once more, "So what exactly do you want me to do?"

"I want you to find Tsunade and bring her back. She is the only one who I can possibly trust to analyze and tell us what's wrong with the child."

Jiraiya whistled, "That is one tall order. Hell, running interference with my spy network would probably be easier than dragging her back here."

"I know, but not even she is stubborn enough to ignore a child in need – especially Kushina's."

Jiraiya looked back and the child twisting in his sleep, ignorant of the troubles that will soon follow him. "I want to be involved in his life, Sensei."

Hiruzen sharply glared at his former student, "You know I can't allow that. Everyone knows how close you were to Minato – they will start to suspect something."

"But I am the village's only seal master! Can you spin a story that I come around to make sure the seal works and isn't going to release the Kyūbi?"

"That will only reinforce the civilians believe that he is the fox reincarnated. We may hope the best in people, but even I doubt such hatred will ever go away so easily."

Noting his student depression, Hiruzen threw him a bone, "That doesn't mean you can't be involved at all. You will just have to be careful about it."

Jiraiya smiled, "I guess that's already better than nothing. Any leads regarding the runaway Sannin?"

Hiruzen shifted through some paperwork, "The last sighting of her occurred in Tanzaku Quarters just a day ago."

Jiraiya smiled, "Then we are in luck – a poker tournament starts there in two days' time, meaning that is she going to be there for a while, more than enough for me to get there before she has a chance to lose big."

Jiraiya was just about to jump out the window for his task when he looked back, "I am allowed room for negotiation?"

Hiruzen sighed, "Just remember that we are rebuilding – we don't have money to cover her debts to force her to come back."

"Oh don't worry, I have something in mind to force her hand. Just make sure that Naruto is kept safe for now. I don't want him ending up in some random orphanage before I make sure to vet the staff."

Hiruzen looked in Jiraiya in aww, "You are taking your role as godfather much more seriously than I expected."

"It's true – I thought I would wallow in pain since his face would remind me too much of Minato to not bring up memories. But… if his changes persist, then it would be impossible to hide the villages' ire from him. I mean whiskers are one thing but fangs and claws? What if he gets pointed ears and slitted eyes? No, that will fuel the civilian's assumptions too much for me to work just from the sidelines to prevent information regarding him leaking out or his possible assassination. I would rather suffer in silence now rather than over his grave in the near future."

"Assassinations?"

"He is Minato's son – Iwagakure will want his head on a silver platter if they even suspect that he had a child who could possibly inherit his technique. Speaking of which…"

Hiruzen raised his hand, "Don't worry – I had all of Minato's and Kushina's things sealed away. Only I and Shikaku know where they are and it's all classified under an S-class secret."

"Does he know because he is the Jōnin Commander or because he knew where Minato's hidden home was?"

"Yes. I also placed down seals to make sure no one 'accidentally' finds it. For now, they will suspect it's hidden in their bank account or vault by my orders. My only fear is that Danzō already suspects my ruse."

Jiraiya stared back in anger, "Anything I should be aware of?"

"He did force Kushina to retire form ANBU due to his insistence on putting her into Root and using her jinchūriki powers. But do not fear, I will make sure he doesn't get his hands on Naruto. And no, he doesn't know about his changes as of yet – I only realized it since I am with him at all times and I made it an S-class secret among the ANBU who watch over me for now."

"Good," nodded Jiraiya, seeing that his Sensei had everything covered, "if all goes well, I will message you by the end of the month."

"Then I wish you luck Jiraiya."

Hiruzen turned back to the paperwork on his paperwork as his former pupil leaped out the window to track down the last known Senju.

* * *

"Huh, well this is interesting."

Kurama opened one eye curiously, " **What's wrong Naruto?"**

 _Should probably get used to that, it is my name – even if I can't remember my previous one._

"It seems like you adapting my vessel has created unintentional changes in the timeline."

" **Already? How?"**

"In the timeline I know, Tsunade was forced to come back to the village twelve years from now. I mean, if I remember my timeline correctly, she left the village with Shizune after Dan's death at the conclusion of the Second Shinobi World War, which was ten years ago. So carrying back the twelve extra year's means that currently, Shizune is 16 and Tsunade is 39."

" **Any reason you're keeping track of her age? And why was she dragged back?"**

"Not really, just for fun. The reason she was dragged back to the village was so that she could become the Godaime Hokage after Hiruzen passed away."

Kurama critically stared at the ball of light he had gotten used to, " **You aren't telling me everything here…"**

I turned around to face a meditating Kyūbi, "In due time. In all honesty, it's Jiraiya's attitude that surprised me."

" **The pervert surprised you?"**

"Yes. In the manga, he only truly got involved in Naruto's during the Chūnin Exam in twelve years. But it was suspected that he protected him from the shadows with misinformation, sending him money, and the occasional birthday gift. Not the best godfather from a child's point, but from a shinobi's point…"

" **Makes sense. He had his responsibility as a spymaster, plus he had to makes sure your real identity never got out. Besides, his association with your father would have raised too many questions."**

"That point and counter-argument were raised. In any case, due to my physical changes, it is likely that he will be more directly involved in my upbringing. I can already see certain benefits from this, but I'll wait and see where it goes from here. Oh, there is one thing to add to our to-do list that I remembered after perusing my memories."

" **Anything we can do about it?"**

"No – just figured I should tell you. Danzō doesn't actually get the Sharingan implanted into his arm, he gets them from somewhere else. He only gets the Senju cells added."

" **Who does he get them from then?"**

"It was discovered many years in the future – when the original Naruto became Nanadaime Hokage…"

" **Wait, Seven? Who the hell was Six?"**

"Danzō was the Rokudaime for a while, but it was never finalized. Instead, Kakashi Hatake took over after the Fourth Shinobi World War."

Kurama pondered this, " **Did he get over his grief and tardiness at that point?"**

"Kushina knew? Of course she did. Yes, Naruto managed to literally 'knock' it out of him. He still read that orange book though."

" **So did she, but that's neither here or there."**

This caught my ear, "Seriously? Is the book that good or was she just a closet pervert?"

" **First, there is no such thing as a closet pervert – there are people who express their sexual urges in unhealthy ways and those who regulate them in a healthy way. Kushina was of a later category. There are prudes of course like Minato but… let's just say that Kushina manages to crack his shell a little as it were."**

I pondered this, "I can understand unhealthy once like Ebisu who suppresses it too much and Jiraiya who indulges it. But what do **you** consider a healthy way of getting rid of the urges?"

" **You know Might Guy? There is a reason he constantly shouts of youth and exercises so much, and it's not just because he isn't good at Ninjutsu and the desire to be a Taijutsu Master – although it plays a role…"**

"Huh… that actually makes sense. I mean, I just figured he was gay or something – he never got married in the manga nor did he a clan of sorts… and he was always 'competing' with Kakashi…"

Kurama actually laughed at that, " **Oh don't worry, both are straight as arrows. It's just that Kakashi doesn't think he is worthy of love and Guy is saving himself for his one true love."**

"Wait, does that mean…"

" **Kakashi told this to Kushina in secret so don't spread it around."**

"Honestly, I was just kept thinking that Rock Lee was his secret love child or something – their physical resemblance was just too uncanny."

" **Is this someone I should know about?"**

"Well... He is just a year old now, but he does become a Jōnin in the future purely on Taijutsu and he mastered the Eight Gates – or as many as he physically could… you know, with the last one killing you and all."

" **Definitely one to keep an eye on in the future then. But we were talking about something else…"**

"Oh right. Well, you see, at some point after leaving Konohagakure and becoming a missing-nin, Orochimaru discovers this guy named Shin who had a genetic anomaly that allowed for tissue and organ transplantation with absolutely no chance of rejection. Eventually, due to both of their fixations with the Uchiha clan, he became the Snake Sannin's personal play toy. He had active Sharingan all over his body – hell, he had five just on his head and one in the back of it. He only had one Mangekyō Sharingan though, so we were lucky there. In any case, at some point, Orochimaru took one of his arms which already had a few Sharingan in it and transplanted into Danzō. Sometime after this, Shin left Orochimaru's side and took most of his clones with him. He didn't make his appearance until much later in the timeline in a failed plot to revive the Akatsuki so that the ensuing conflict would be a catalyst to further his beliefs."

" **So… Orochimaru worked for Danzō?"**

"Actually, I think that they think that they are playing each other. I mean, Kabuto – Orochimaru apprentice – is literally playing as a spy for three sides at this moment, so he is a snake hidden among other larger snakes… It gets very confusing at times to know who is playing who. All I care at this moment is that Danzō uses Orochimaru and Orochimaru uses Danzō."

Kurama pondered this. This Shin was currently not a threat if he was in hiding based on 'Naruto's' knowledge but this alliance between the War Hawk and Snake Sannin was worrisome. " **Does Hiruzen know?"**

"No. For one thing, Root is still active at this time, and Danzō carries out these deals in secret, before and after the Uchiha Massacre and Orochimaru's status change. Also, the information that they were even making deals was discovered much later – by who, or how escapes me. In any case, I don't think we should remove Danzō from the playing board YET."

" **Why…?"**

"Because despite his twisted morality and ambitions, Danzō is one thing above all: a nationalist. His love for Konoha is why he engages in his secret actions. Who knows how many hidden assassinations and plots he carried out that impacted the story behind everyone's back? No, until we have a clear assessment and understanding of the current political, social, and economic strings that Danzō is tugging and pulling, he gets to live."

" **Tch… You're playing a dangerous game here, Naruto. You have three years to get ready before out begin to carry out your plans, during which you have to avoid suspicion by both Danzō and Hiruzen. That's not even accounting the possibility that Jiraiya and Tsunade are about to be a constant presence in your life. Kami knows what else you will recall regarding the future…"**

"Don't remind me, Kurama. Let's not forget that the body and spirit of my vessel are starting to influence me."

Kurama was afraid of this happening. When he initially met him, Naruto had no emotion in his speech and was very analytical. But slowly, his speech started gaining intonations, and his once ball-like form was slowly gaining appendages. Very soon, he will take on a child-like body and worst case scenario, a child-like mentality. **"Well, this cuts into our preparation time. How much do you have left before you finish categorizing your knowledge and storing it away?"**

"Two or three more days. I finished filling away my past life and knowledge from that world. I need to add a few more safes and rooms to the mainspace before continuing, but all my 'Naruto' knowledge is ready for storage."

" **Just make sure I'll be able to access it if worse comes to worse and you forget yourself."**

"Already done. I left several messages and instructions for myself if I don't believe you if we shall meet under such circumstances."

Kurama smirked, **"So you planned it all out? Good, I was afraid that I was teaming up with a clueless little reborn soul."**

"I want to say that I did, but it's more than likely that I forgot something important that I consider insignificant."

* * *

It took Jiraiya shorter than expected to get to Tanzaku Quarters, and even quicker to locate Tsunade and her apprentice. All he had to do was find the most active hidden source of chakra, which in a tourist location, was harder than anticipated.

It took five bars before he finally found her sitting on a stool, drinking away her sorrows with sake. Instead of rushing in, Jiraiya did the impossible and sat down next to her with some level of decorum. Noting that her apprentice wasn't with her, he assumed that she was in a hotel room somewhere nearby, meaning that Tsunade is less likely to suddenly run off if this went south.

Jiraiya sat in silence and waited while Tsunade finished drinking what seemed like her fourth flask of booze. He knew that she knew he was next to her, but this was too important to screw up, so he waited for her to make the first move.

"Must be something big if you actually managed to control yourself and not stare at my chest, Jiraiya."

Finally given the opening, he turned to look at his former teammate.

For someone a few months shy from her 40th, she still looked like someone in her 20's. Jiraiya couldn't help smirk at both her vanity and extreme level of chakra control. Only a Senju would use chakra in such a way.

"Indeed, it's too important to screw up on an impromptu lewd joke."

Tsunade smiled slightly, "Are you here to chastise me for not returning to Kushina's funeral?"

"No, I am here to bring you back to look over her child."

This caused Tsunade's eyes to bulge, "Child? Kushina was pregnant?"

"She was. It was kept hidden since the boy would be fourth in line for her duty."

 _Fourth, what is Jiraiya talking about? She was only the second Jinchūriki for the Kyūbi so the child should be… Wait a second…_

Catching the implication in the crowded bar with prying ears, Tsunade played along. "Is that so? Tell me, did he inherit his mom's hair and eyes?"

Smiling knowing that the message has been received, Jiraiya played along, "Unfortunately no, and his name is Naruto, for 'Maelstrom' and not the 'Fishcake' like the ramen condiment. Instead, he inherited his father's blond locks and eyes. It's too soon to say whose personality he inherited, but knowing who his parents are, the Uzumaki blood will win out."

Tsunade did her best not to shatter the cup she held in her hand. _Well, Kami damn it Kushina, you actually nabbed yourself a Hokage! I'd laugh if it weren't in bad taste. So he is already the Jinchūriki, and his name is Naruto Uzumaki to keep his father's identity hidden._

"So what is wrong with the boy? Must be something pretty bad if you sought me out in such a rush."

Jiraiya ordered a drink for himself, "Please – Sensei has always kept his eye on you to make sure you never disappeared. You **are** the last Senju - he was hoping that one day you managed to move on and continue the clan, but that seems to be less than likely at this point."

Sipping on his sake, Jiraiya pushed on, "No. Despite being born under less than stellar circumstance, Naruto seems very healthy - top of his weight and height bracket. No, Hiruzen is just concerned about his **wild** appearance. He fears the worse, so he sought out the best. Besides, home is in less than pristine condition at the moment; he figured with all the sick and injured, now would be a good time to get teach some medicine and for management."

Tsunade breathed out. _So he is healthy but looks 'wild'? What exactly is he afraid, that the seal is weakening? No, he would call you for that. Then it must be something_ _ **literally**_ _physically wrong and not just to call me back to run the Medical-nin and hospital. Although…_

"And how long does he expect me to stay and help out?"

Jiraiya smirked, "Sensei hopes you will make the wise decision and hopefully remain home – he misses you, you know? Besides, would it be so wrong? You would be safe, you would have work, and your apprentice can see Konoha again; she won't even have to join our line of work, she can just skip right to working alongside you as your assistant or something."

"Was that a threat, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya finished his drink, "Not at all. But you have to admit, your debts must be pilling up after all these years. I mean, how do you provide without dipping into your Senju funds?"

Tsunade turned away, staring straight at the wall behind the bar, "I wanted to distance myself away from Konoha, not have a constant reminder of it. I will come back damn well then I please."

Jiraiya frowned, "Please reconsider Tsunade. This is Kushina's kid here, not even you…"

"Don't you pretend to know me, Jiraiya. You have no idea what I've lost."

"I may not have lost a lover and family like you, but I have lost those close to me - or have you already forgotten what happened in Ame with Nagato, Yahiko, and Conan? I considered them my children Tsunade. For an orphan, that constitutes as something."

Tsunade turned away, "Low blow, Jiraiya."

"I don't care. Please Tsunade, return to Konoha. Don't make me beg."

Tsunade turned to face her former teammate, noting his face. "And what if I don't?"

Jiraiya finished his sake before hitting the nail in the coffin, "Then Hiruzen declares you a missing-nin."

This actually frightened Tsunade, "He wouldn't."

"Of course he wouldn't, even he isn't that heartless. But Naruto is my godson and **his** son, so I will do everything in power to make sure he stays safe and healthy. As such, you have one day to reconsider before I leave."

"Or what?" Inquired Tsunade, partly worried, partly angry, and partly afraid of what Jiraiya could do.

"Or I call in all your marks."

This was not what Tsunade was expecting, "Huh?"

Jiraiya gave her a wide smile as he went on, "Well you see, I order all my associates to acquire your debts. A signal from me and they call them in. Since you have outstanding fees with almost every casino in the Elemental Nations, it would become almost impossible for you to gamble anywhere – safe for places like Iwa and Kiri, but even you wouldn't be stupid enough to go there. Of course, as a Senju, you would always be welcome in the casinos back in Konoha."

At this Tsunade finally shattered the cup she was holding, "You wouldn't…"

Jiraiya started getting up to leave, "I told you Tsunade, Naruto has no one now so I will move the mountains themselves to help him any way I can. You have a day to decide, and you know where to find me."

* * *

Hiruzen's hand was cramping up after another day of writing. He looked outside, noting the setting sun.

It's been four days since he ordered Jiraiya to find Tsunade and he was yet to hear back from him. Granted, he said he would get a message by the end of the month, but he could hope.

The civilians caught wind of what Naruto was and demanded his head. He already had to make examples of some of them when they broke his new law, and that really hurt him.

He turned to see the source of all the villages tension.

Hiruzen had to admit that Naruto was an odd child. He was expecting… well, maybe not more from him, but something.

He remembers how difficult Asuma was when he was that age, but Naruto showed none of those behaviors. Except for crying when he needed to be changed or fed by an ANBU or him, he was either silent or asleep.

Hiruzen noted his blue eyes. As Jiraiya suspected, the pupil was already showing signs of slowly becoming a slit. Given enough time, Hiruzen feared that the azure blue recognized on his father would change to a bloody red.

As if sensing his mental distress, a messenger bird arrived on his window. Noting the kanji on it that signified that it was Jiraiya's, Hiruzen quickly unfurled the scroll and read it.

"Huh," Hiruzen said nonchalantly as possible.

Neko appeared from the wooden shelf in concern, "Problem Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen closed the scroll, "He succeeded."

Tori quickly appeared from the ceiling, "Tsunade is to return then?!"

"Calm down Bird…"

"But Hokage-sama, this is a momentous occasion. Tension should decrease if a Senju returns to the village in its time of need to aid in recovery. It will give them hope for a new Hokage…"

"I am afraid that is a fools dreams. Jiraiya had to basically blackmail her into returning. Convincing her to take the hat will be almost impossible, even if she eventually understands why he did it."

Tori went on his knee, "Forgive my outburst, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen raised his hand, "Don't worry, it was an understandable reaction. Please report to the Head of ANBU of the Sannin's impending arrival. To think, all three will be in the village at the same time."

"Speaking of which, why didn't you get Orochimaru to check up on Naruto's condition?"

"Because Orochimaru is a scientist and researcher first and foremost. I trust him only as far as he diagnoses what is possibly wrong with Naruto but not treat it. Besides, our relationship has been… frosty since I made Minato the Hokage over him."

Tokage finally appeared from behind the plant in the corner, "Would now not be a good enough reason to put him in instead?"

"On paper yes, it would make sense. Unfortunately, all of Orochimaru's latest accomplishments have been done from the sidelines and behind closed doors thanks to his research and experiments. Minato however, is known far and wide for effectively ending the war. Sure, the Sannin name has weight, but it can only go so fat."

The ANBU nodded in understanding, "Who do you have in mind for a replacement?"

Hiruzen pondered, "If I could I would put either Jiraiya or Tsunade, but Jiraiya is too good of spymaster to put behind a desk, and I already mentioned Tsunade's reasons. Otherwise, no one else comes to mind… Maybe Inu if he was older but still…"

"What about someone from the Uchiha clan? Or maybe a Hyūga?"

"All valid prospects Neko but again, they have enough accumulated power as it is. Kami, the only reason they allowed me to become Hokage – other than my title as 'The Professor' – is that the Sarutobi Clan has no significant political or financial holdings for me to influence."

"Other than your clan propensity of having high ranking ninja, of course."

Hiruzen smiled, "Other than that. Besides, if we start considering those clans, might as well allow the War Hawk to get a chance at the hat. In summary, there is simply no one in the village who is both strong and young enough to take up the post."

Tori got the message, "Other than Inu."

Hiruzen sighed, "And even him I doubt – I haven't seen him since the funeral. I know he took Minato's loss harder than most."

"Don't worry Hokage-sama, we take care of our own," interjected Tokage.

* * *

"So," stared Tsunade, "this is the little chibi."

Naruto glared right back at the woman in front of him, not an ounce of concern on his face,

Jiraiya stared in worry, "I was only gone for a week, and he already has fox-eyes."

"Just be glad his eyes are still blue," spoke Hiruzen, "I started getting worried when his ears started getting tipped."

Tsunade reached and checked the baby – yup, the ears weren't as round as expected. Not pointy, but still.

"Are you two **sure** it's not the seal? I've seen Inuzuka's look less doglike then this."

"Now is not the time for jokes, Tsunade," warned Hiruzen.

"Of course not – now is the time for negotiation," smirked Tsunade.

"Tsunade, you treat my godson right now, and I'll get you a batch of Gamabunta's special sake!" shouted Jiraiya.

Tsunade shook his hand, "Deal!"

As Tsunade's hands glowed green with chakra and her inspection of Naruto began, Jiraiya and Hiruzen hanged their hands in shame, "I should have just offered her that in the first place – would have been cheaper anyway."

"Yes Jiraiya, but how pissed would Gama be if you did that?"

"True Sensei, true."

After what seemed like an hour – really it was ten minutes max – Tsunade spoke, "Huh."

"'Huh'? Why did you 'huh'? What did you find?"

"Well… it's not as bad as you may think, but I guess no one ever expected a jinchūriki to get this. In all fairness, it is something any mid-skill medic would notice in an adult, but a baby?"

This caught Hiruzen's ear, "Is it fatal? Can it be reversed?"

"Oh certainly. Naruto's system is just out of synch."

"Out of synch?" inquired Jiraiya.

Tsunade wiped her brow and hands, "yeah, usually happens when a shinobi undergoes chakra exhaustion or severe trauma, usually a combination of a two. Funny thing though is that it usually happens to individuals with a lot of chakra – never seen it those on the low side. Kind of why it's usually found in males and all. Basically, once chakra network becomes slightly out of line with the body's bio-rhythms. Usually, it's not a big deal: usual symptoms include mild discomfort, slight loss of chakra control, a basic feeling of 'not feeling right in your skin' if it were. If it gets bad enough, a realignment is required and then some bed rest for healing. However, Naruto is a unique situation. A jinchūriki is basically a balance of the vessels chakra and the bijū's; if there's an imbalance in once spiritual energy…"

"Then the foreign chakra starts influencing the host, causing the physical energy to adapt to the imbalance, ergo fox-features. Nature chakra does something similar if a balance isn't achieved – I take on frog-like characteristics."

"Right you are, Jiraiya. But unlike nature chakra which can be expunged from your system, bijū chakra cannot – at least, not now in any way. When he is old enough to use chakra, Naruto could do it on his own but as a baby…"

Hiruzen pondered the implication of this, "Will this be a life-long issue?"

Tsunade closed her eyes in consideration, "I honestly don't know. I can realign him on my own right now but what's done is done. We caught the ears in time and maybe the eyes will go away on their own, but the teeth and claws? I recommend a good dentist and frequent manicures. I don't even want to start thinking about how his brain and body chemistry have already been affected. All I can offer is frequent checks up with decreasing frequency as he matures to survey the damage or possible continuation of the changes."

Jiraiya clenched his hands into fists, "Just… just treat him Tsunade… please."

Tsunade, noting the actual concerns on her former teammate's face, felt sympathy for the man, "I was going to anyway."

Right before Tsunade started the operation, She turned back to the Hokage, "Sensei – seriously consider hammering it into the civilians skulls that he is the Kyūbi jailer and not the fox himself. These…changes… are not going to be easy to ignore. And I have a strong suspicion that Jiraiya will knock more heads then me if anyone touches him with intent to harm."

Hiruzen looked at Jiraiya, noting his tension, "Perhaps its best if you go and have a drink – you earned a small reprieve for now."

Jiraiya unclenched his fists, "Maybe… First I got to go and set up an account for Naruto so he can get a stipend to use. I suspect that the civilians will find a way around your law Sensei, one of which will include screwing him over financially."

Tsunade waited for Jiraiya to jump out the window before saying one last thing, "If it weren't for the fact I am sober right now, I would swear that he was someone other than the Toad Sage we all grew up with."

"Caught me by surprise as well, Tsunade. But tragedy does bring about change in people. Besides, as a former orphan, Jiraiya will relate to Naruto on a very fundamental level, unlike both of us."

"True," nodded Tsunade. "Well then, let's begin."

* * *

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

Kurama broke out of his meditation, " **Naruto, what's wrong?"**

I started quaking and morphing out of control, "Tsunade… she started something… I feel… out of balance…"

Kurama swore, " **Looks like we are out of time. Did you finish cataloging all your memories and knowledge?"**

"Yes… everything is done… and ready… information regarding my former life… is under so many locks and keys… that no Yamanaka will ever even catch a whiff of it."

" **And your knowledge regarding this world?"**

"Same… but they will at least be able to tell what it is about… and believe that I simply… have naturally good mental defenses… besides, your enough of a guard dog to keep the stupid ones out."

Kurama smiled, " **Kami, we must really be out of time – you are actually making jokes."**

I actually laughed, "Don't start Furball. Did she find the sensory and chakra bypass I made for you?"

Kurama closed his eyes for a moment, " **Nope. I am still linked to your senses, and I can still dump my chakra into your body, albeit at a much slower rate than before."'**

"Good… enough…"

I actually spasmed in pain as whatever Tsunade was doing took hold, "Just… remember… Hinata… Hyūga… 3rd birthday…"

Kurama nodded his head, " **I'll remember and make sure to drag in whatever is left of you down here to remind you of anything you have forgotten."**

Finally feeling the process finalizing, a spoke out one last thing, "Good luck… Kurama."

" **And good luck to you to Naruto. It was getting to know… whatever you were."**

I chuckled before one last spasm hit me.

* * *

Kurama watched as the ball of light he had so close so quickly literally shattered before his eyes. He watched as his remains actually drifted off and became part of the air around him. He would have gone back to his meditation as normal if he hadn't noticed several pockets of energy form and fly off to separate ends of the mindscape.

Que anime sweat-drop. " **Well, that's not ominous at all."**

* * *

Hiruzen covered his ears as Naruto finally started crying for no good reason as soon as Tsunade finished.

"Boy, does he have a pair of lungs on him. Well, he is your problem now Sensei."

The Hokage eyes bulged, "Now wait a minute Tsunade…"

Tsunade smiled and started walking out of the office, "Sorry, but I got to go and help Shizune clean up the Senju home before we move in. Plus, I got to go to the hospital and make a tally of supplies and check how good the medics are. I mean, I am going to be the Head of the Hospital, am I not?"

"But, but, but…"

Tsunade opened and walked out the door, "Sorry Sensei, but I gotta go. Sayōnara!"

Hiruzen watched the door to his office slam loudly. In turn, Naruto's screaming became even louder. He quickly noted that all three ANBU that were in his office decided to take an early shift change.

"Traitors," mumbled Hiruzen

* * *

Immediately after setting up various accounts and fallbacks for Naruto to use in worst case scenarios, Jiraiya quickly made his way to an alcove deep within the Forest of Death. After making sure no one was around, he quickly made a summon.

Two puffs of smoke appeared, revealing Fukasaku and Shima, the Two Great Sage Toads.

"Well, well, well… Nice to see you again, Jiraiya-boy."

"Nice to see you too, Fukasaku-san."

Shima hit Jiraiya on top of his head with her tongue, "Took you long enough! You know how worried we get if don't hear back from you."

"Now, now Shima, you not that Jiraiya is a busy man," Fukasaku spoke as he tried to calm his wife.

"I don't care! You know how long its been since we sat down for a meal and ate together as a family? Ages!"

Jiraiya rubbed the top of his head, "Look I am sorry about that Shima-san, but my job as a spymaster does keep me busy. Besides, that's not why I summoned you two."

"Does it have to do with Minato's passing?"

At Fukasaku question, everyone became somber. "How did you know?"

"His name disappeared from the Toad Contract – he has passed on, hasn't he? Him and Kushina?"

Jiraiya looked down in shame, "Yes. But their kid lives."

Shima perked up, "Jinchūriki?"

Jiraiya nodded, "Unfortunately, he seems to have some kind of imbalance in his body. We don't know if it's a permanent condition or not, but Tsunade is treating it as we speak."

"Truly, the Slug Sannin has returned? That's wonderful."

"Indeed Shima-san. I know she can hammer everything out in him but…"

Fukasaku stared at his pupil, "But what Jiraiya? You are not one to worry about things."

"In this case, my worry is justified. His condition has already made him take on several fox traits, and I suspect that it will persist despite Tsunade's best efforts."

Fukasaku took charge of the conversation and crossed his arms, "And what exactly do you expect from us, Jiraiya-boy?"

Jiraiya bowed, his forehead touching the ground, his hand's shoulder distance, "Please Fukasaku-san and Shima-san, I need to perfect my Sage training as soon as possible. I beg you to make time for your unworthy disciple!"

Fukasaku was gobsmacked by this request while Shima in her fluster tried to get Jiraiya to raise his head. "Raise your head, you foolish child! That is not appropriate behavior for your position! Remember, we chose to allow you to become a Toad Summoner. What makes you think you are unworthy our tutelage?"

"The fact that I always managed to find any excuse imaginable to get of training with Nature Chakra," looked up Jiraiya.

"Don't start Jiraiya. That excuse only worked before your responsibilities became too cumbersome to make any long stretches of time available for you to train with us. What changed now?"

Jiraiya sat in a kneeling position, "Naruto's physical changes are similar as too then I lack balance within myself and take on toad features due to nature chakra. I need to master Sage Mode by the time Naruto is old enough to start working with chakra so I can teach him how to properly achieve balance within himself. As his godfather, it is my duty to ensure his wellbeing."

Fukasaku smiled, "Jiraiya, there is no more admirable reason than that to demand our teaching. We would have made time for to train you regardless of circumstances, but if it is for the sake of your godchild, then we can begin immediately."

Shima clapped, "Oh, it will be so nice to have visitors again! I can finally try my hand at some new dishes for you, Jiraiya-chan!"

Jiraiya bowed once more, higher off the ground this time, "Thank you. I'll need time to inform my associates and set up a workable schedule to maintain my network and train with you, so give me two days to get all the messages out."

Fukasaku and Shima both nodded in turn, "Then we expect you for dinner in two days' time, Jiraiya-boy. Until then."

Jiraiya completed the seal to dismiss his summons. "Just you wait, Naruto. I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

AS he was leaving the forest, a thought struck him, "Oh crap, what about my manuscript for 'Icha Icha'? Damn, I hope my publisher doesn't kill me."

* * *

 _December 26_ _th_ _, 3 years later_

I opened my eyes and saw myself laying in a field. I got and looked around, noting the landscape around me. It all seemed... familiar… I could have sworn I have been here before.

I started exploring, walking whatever direction suited me. Eventually, I made myself to what appeared to be the center of it all.

As I drew near, I saw a figure sitting in a meditative pose with its hands in a ram sign.

I only realized that it was a giant fox when I finally reached its feet.

I stared in silence at what I realized was the Kyūbi no Yōko, the demon that attacked my village all those years ago.

Before I got a chance to ponder the implications, one of its eyes opened. " **Huh… I figured I would need to summon you myself. Guess you left some sort of trigger to summon yourself without my aid."**

"Summon myself? What are you talking about? And how do you know my name?"

This caused the Kyūbi to actually open both eyes in concern, " **Tch… I guess Tsunade's treatment did more damage than we thought. Thank Kami for your contingency plans."**

"Wait, how do you know Tsunade? And what is this con…con…damn it, I can't say that word!"

The fox chuckled as he turned and pointed at a door that appeared out of nowhere. I noted the kanji for 'In Case of Emergency' written on it. " **Just go through that door, and everything will make sense afterward."**

"Right… and I should do that why?"

"Don't worry, it will just make things easier to believe afterward."

I panicked, "Who said that?"

"I did'," said the voice once more.

I watched as from behind the Kyūbi appeared… me. Instead, four more of… me appeared. But they all looked… wrong. They all looked like me, but they all seemed different than me. One had red hair, another brown, one green, and one had blue hair of all things.

The one with the blue hair walked ahead and raised his hands, "Do not be afraid. We are just different representations of you."

"But… how… why?"

The blue haired me chuckled, "All will be clear after you complete what is behind that door."

Noting the absurdity of what would follow if I started questioning myself, I decided to listen to… myself… and walk right past the Kyūbi. As I was opened the door, I turned to the blue haired me, "Is what he saying true?"

The blue-haired me stared at the Kyūbi and back to me once more, "Yes. What Kurama said is true Naruto – everything will be explained in due time."

"Oh… well then, thank you Naruto… I mean, me. I am sorry, but is there another name I can call you?"

The blue-haired me smiled, "Of course. In anticipation of this day and for convenience sake, we all chose names for ourselves to distinguish ourselves. I personally go by Ao."

"I go by Aka." Said the red-haired me.

"I go by Midori." Said the green-haired me.

"I go by Kasshoku." Said the brown-haired me.

"So… you guys go by hair color. Guess that's easy to remember. By that logic, I should call myself Ki. Are there any more of you?"

"Only Shiro and Kuro, but they prefer to go by Yang and Yin. Don't worry, you won't meet them anytime soon. They are rather… private individuals."

"Okay… I guess I'll talk to you guys soon... hopefully."

I slid the door open and walked into the room.

* * *

Kurama watched disappear before looking down at Ao, " **How shocked to think he is going to be when he meets Yang?"**

"More than we were, that's for sure."


	2. Making Myself Comfortable

"Ow..."

Literally the first thing I said as I exited my memory space – or is it memory room? Or is it memory apartment?

Give me a break, it's not like this is something that comes up every day.

Spending Kami knows how long catching up on things I have forgotten I knew would do that to you. It's disconcerting, learning something you didn't know you knew.

Thankfully, I got dragged in during sleep, so no harm there. When I wake up in maybe an hour or two in real time, it will be the day of the Hyūga Affair, which means I'll have enough time to get everything into place.

" **Back to your old self now, are we Kiiro?"** smirked Kurama as he continued meditating.

"As good as I can be I guess. Now," I pointed to copies of me playing poker, "You mind explaining THAT to me?"

Kurama looked down at the quartet he has gotten to know as friends during the last three years. " **Couldn't really tell you. When Tsunade synched you up, your essence broke up into several pieces and hid in the recesses of your mind. Best I figured, your mind was too vast to simply fuse with your undeveloped baby brain. So, it broke into pieces, each possibly representing a different façade of you or separate souls. Whether or not you are still one tama is to debate – it's not like you can just grow them, even with a Bijū helping you. Although all rules have been thrown out the window with you, so what do I know?"**

"Absolutely nothing apparently. But that makes no sense – Father was pure mind. He had no spiritual attachments. Ergo, no emotions or experiences to work off of and create us."

"I have a theory if you want to hear it," spoke Ao as he folded his cards.

Seeing nothing better, I decided to join the game. During which I decided to observe my… other personalities? Personas? Do I have Dissociative Identity Disorder? This is going to be something to get used to.

They all had my face so no change there.

Aka had flowing red hair that spikes up slightly and violet eyes, so he kind of reminded me of my mother.

Ao had green eyes and straight blue hair that was combed to slightly cover his left eye.

Midori looks exactly what Naruto was supposed to look like except his hair is green, and his eyes are yellow. I only say supposed to look like him because my hair looks more like Minato's in shape – or at least it will with time.

Kasshoku had long brown hair in a ponytail and chocolate brown eyes. I could have sworn he looked like Neji until I realized that I haven't met him yet in this timeline.

(Kiiro) "So what's your theory?"

(Aka) "Tch – the nancy boy here thinks that we are all personifications of elements. Damn it, I fold."

(Ao) "Now now, Aka, just because you represent Fire doesn't mean you have to be grouchy about. Remember, each element has their own strength and weaknesses so no need to be hung up on it."

(Aka) "Says the guy whose element naturally beats mine."

(Kasshoku) "Calm yourself brother. Ao's theory makes some sense. It supports his claim that the environment one grows up in has some influence one's primary element then genetics. I raise."

(Kiiro) "Really? Well, that would explain why a lot of people in Konoha are Fire – you know, with the Will of Fire drilled into them as kids and all. I call."

(Midori) "Hai, Hai. That's actually not why, but the naming is funny, isn't it? The Will of Fire teaches people to always think of their comrades first and that the entire village is like a large family and every Konoha shinobi with the Will of Fire loves, believes, cherishes, and fights to protect the village. However, protection has two definitive representations: either as a defender or as an aggressor, or avenger if you want to be technical. In turn, such upbringing basically makes everyone naturally Fire based in the village. Which is hilarious in hindsight! Also, check."

(Ao) "You have to admit though, in the village as large as this for only Naruto and Asuma to have Wind as primary seemed statistically unlikely. However, at the same time, both had rather different personality types compared to those in the village. Naruto was a prankster, and Asuma was a cross between a wanderer and an adventurer. It would explain why he decided to join the Twelve Guardian Ninja instead of staying in the village. I check, and dealer draws the fifth card…"

(Aka) "Damn it! I folded too early! But that theory doesn't explain someone like Kakashi or Hiruzen who mastered multiple elements. You really want to tell me that Kakashi was a mixture of multiple personalities unlike us who are a diffusion?"

(Kasshoku) "On the contrary. Training to use an element requires one to manipulate their chakra in a specific way. As such, one, in essence, trains their chakra to react in a predetermined manner. As chakra is partially spiritual in nature, it trains their essence – or themselves – to think in a certain way. Hence why a primary element is so easy to learn – one already thinks in such a manner and in turn, can more easily attune chakra to that form. Learning another element, however, requires one to modify or outright change their way of thinking, making it that much more difficult. However, the end result is the individual coming out of the training somewhat enlightened, as if discovering another aspect or layer of their being. Truly, if Ao's theory holds merit, then individuals who can use various elements are the most stable and wises of individuals. One only has to consider Hashirama, Tobirama, and Hiruzen as examples. Also, raise."

(Midori) "Hey, what about Obā-chan and Otō-san? Both were good leaders as well in the original continuity. I call and raise."

(Kiiro) "To be fair, Tsunade never learned Wind Release and Minato never got around to Water and Earth. Don't get me wrong, both were powerful in their own right and were level-headed when the need arose. Still, it does put things in perspective. I fold."

(Ao) "It also explains why the dominant primary element for each hidden village is where they are hidden. Iwa has Earth, Suna has Wind, Kiri has Water, Kumo has Lightning, and Konoha has Fire. In turn, each village has their own different mindsets and Wills. I fold."

Everyone stared at Kasshoku and Midori as they remained in the game. Midori just smiled, "I call."

Kasshoku nodded, "Full House – Queen high."

Midori smiled and crossed his arms, "Full House – Ace high."

(Aka) "Kami damn it. Is the Devil's Luck just tied to Wind or anyone who acts like the original Naruto?"

(Midori) "Who cares? I won!"

Kurama sweatdropped, " **Do you have any idea how trippy it is watching you five play?"**

(All) "Sorry, Kurama."

(Kasshoku) "Good game today. If anyone needs me, I will be meditating."

(Aka) "I got some rage to vent, so see ya!"

(Midori) "Sure, sure. I got some weapon ideas I want to try sketching. You going to do calligraphy Ao?"

(Ao) "Yes, but after I talk to Kiiro."

Three Naruto's Shunshin away while two remained and Kurama got up from his meditation, " **I'll leave you alone for privacy. Got to take a bath anyway."**

Ao and Kiiro remained in a seating position. Both started cleaning up while Ao spoke, "Can I assume that our Father left you the necessary instructions?"

"Father? Aren't we all the same tama?"

Ao shook his head, "I am afraid it's too late for that. When our original soul – our father – shattered, we became like seedlings, growing and developing on our own. We each matured differently, developing into our own separate little trees. It's better to say that we are all brothers rather than one person. We are still probably linked to one tama as Kurama assumes, which is worrying. One of our biggest fears is that one day we may no longer choose to become one and we fear the ramifications of such an act on our wellbeing."

"Is that really a bad thing? Not fusing, I mean."

Ao looked at Kiiro in shock, "Do you really want eight different beings in your head?"

Kiiro shrugged, "Hey, as long as we keep to ourselves and make some kind of plan, I do not really see a negative here. You all have your own space, and by what I can gather, you all get along, and I can see benefits in having a council of me with various outlooks and opinions. Heck, if I decide to become Hokage one day, it would be like having my own personal advisory council."

Ao pondered this, "I never looked at it that way. Granted, we've been busy with other things in the last two years but still."

Kiiro finished up cleaning, "Out of curiosity, now that I am aware of you guys, are we going to be switching who's in control from now on?"

Ao raised his hand, "No need. We've gotten used to you being in the driver's seat as it were. Besides, we are all linked to your senses just like Kurama. If the need arises however or you call on us, we can switch without a problem. Also, we don't really want others to catch on, do we?"

"Huh. Good to know."

As they finished putting everything away, Ao finally asked, "So how far along are you? What exactly did father leave you?"

"Not much. I mean, he gave me the layout of a lot of things, but unlike you four, I haven't really started training myself. I've been dealing with… other stuff."

Ao nodded, "But you at least now know how to do the Academy Three (Kawari, Bunshin, and Henge), Shadow Clone, and the Body Flicker now, right?"

Kiiro nodded.

"Good," continued Ao, "That's more than enough for our plan regarding Hinata. Go out and practice chakra control a little. You will move out at night when everyone in the orphanage is asleep."

"Got it."

Kiiro phased out of the mindscape as Kurama returned, shaking the water off his fur. " **Did he ask about Yin and Yang?"**

"No, but I think he gets the idea about them."

" **Which is?"**

"That they are not yet done growing."

* * *

 _Later that night…_

Kiiro was currently Henged as a bird, watching the Hyuga compound. More specifically, he was watching the room where Hinata was presently sleeping in. He noted that the guard currently observing her quadrant was about to change shifts, so Kiiro expected the Head Ninja of Kumogakure to sneak in sometime soon since the new moon was at the apex. It was brilliant actually; they picked the night with least amount of light possible to commit the kidnapping.

While waiting, Kiiro pondered the last three years of his life and how certain things played out. Orochimaru still abandoned the village, Kakashi still disobeyed Danzō and allowed Yamato to live (probably), Inu still watched over me which was a plus, and the Civilian Council were still dicks to 'Naruto' and abused their privileges.

A lot of things changed though in hindsight.

Due to Kurama's influence, 'Naruto' looked more like a five-year-old then three-year-old, which was a plus. As expected, Tsunade hammered into him to file down his nails and watch his fangs – which to be fair, he only had like four – since the eye and ear-thing didn't stick. Oh sure, his ears were slightly pointed, and his pupil wasn't completely spherical, but you had to get right up to him to notice. Villagers gave him smack for that because it looked weird and they at least had a genuine reason to convince their children no to hang out with him. It still allowed Naruto to meet Teuchi and Ayame at Ichiraku's. And like he hoped, the ramen was delicious. Thankfully, he seemed to have inherited the original 'Naruto's' never-ending pit of a stomach which was a bonus. Plus, unlike the original, he actually orders extra vegetables to counteract the sodium in the dishes.

He was **not** going to be short like the original.

Getting Jiraiya into high gear seemed to have done some good as well. As he promised, he visited 'Naruto' on a much more frequent basis to see what was happening. Kiiro couldn't prove it, but he suspected that Jiraiya had something to do with the staff in the orphanage changing some time ago to retired shinobi who treated him like a decent human being. He also suspected that Jiraiya had something to do with certain business ending unexpectedly for overcharging or kicking 'Naruto' out of their establishment. I wasn't going to complain. Plus, based on what I heard before I became 'enlightened' as it were, Jiraiya was already looking for an apartment for me live in on my own. Maybe he assumed since I grew faster I matured faster as well. With my new mindset, I can actually 'support' that theory. The sooner I start to live on my own with a stipend from my godfather – and maybe Jiji - the faster I can start training in private.

Same was with the Hokage. I still called him Jiji, which I found hilarious, and I was still working my way to being his honorary grandson. I wasn't going to do anything about Asuma leaving to join the Twelve Guardians in two years since that was needed. I am however planning to do something with Itachi though. Based on my math, he joins ANBU in three years, makes Captain in five (effectively allowing Kakashi to quit and become a Jōnin, allowing him to fail four teams), Leader of ANBU in six and abandons in seven. For my plan to work, I have to get to him after he makes Captain but before Shisui dies and he turns 'traitor.' If all goes to plan, it will be my 'Divine Move' in this timeline – one for the better.

Tsunade turned out to be the biggest change maker. For one thing, Hinata's mom is still alive. Turns out, Higure died from undiagnosed complications during Hanabi's birth which became fatal. But since Tsunade was around, it didn't happen. Tsunade also used her considerable power and position as a Senju to both hold back the worst of the Council – especially the extra one that had to join since the Ninja Council opened her seat again – and head up the Medical-nin Program again. I am somewhat torn about it: I am happy since it will mean fewer people will die in the future and the students who fail out the Academy have an option to join them instead of going to Civilian School. On the other hand, I am torn about the possible ripple effects I haven't foreseen, the biggest of which include the people Tsunade would have saved over the years if she was still traveling. Oh well, they were NPCs so who really cares? Fun tidbit though – Shizune, while working as Tsunade apprentice and disciple, seemed to have a struck up a friendship with Iruka. It was awkward for the kid at first – he was two years her minor, which currently made him 15 and her 17 – since he saw me from time to time when I would be brought for my check-ups, but Tsunade literally beat into him that I was not the Biju, but rather it's jailer.

He smiles and gives me candy now. Hopefully, he still becomes 'Naruo's' teacher in the Academy. Plus, I enjoy playing matchmaker with him and Shizune. I smell a summer wedding by the sea.

(Get it? Umino means 'sea' and Iruka means 'dolphin'?)

Oh, before I forget, Anko made Tokubetsu Jōnin when she turned fifteen – this year - and is apprenticing with Ibiko in Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force. Got to remember to get to know her over dango at some point so I can somehow remove her 'mark' in the future.

She deserves a happy ending too.

Kakashi is only two years older than her… No, bad thoughts! _But they would be so fun together…_ BAD THOUGHTS! The world is not yet ready for silver-haired Ankos running around reading 'Icha Icha.'

Speaking of which, I should really give that series a try. Jiraiya still managed to find time to run his spy ring, train his Sage Mode, and somehow still write his books. Looks like the pain of associating 'Naruto' with Minato and his failures really held him back. Thank Kami that was corrected.

A yawn snaps me out of my thoughts. I note the Hyūga watching that quadrant slowly dusted himself and began to walk away. I quickly checked the most likely point of entry and noted a figure hiding in the shadows.

Right side covered by bandages and headband, goatee, snarky self-confidence…

" _So it's time."_

The Council of Naruto – really? – have decided that the main reason everything went downhill is that Hiashi intercepted the thief during his escape and quickly killed him. Despite the sinister nature of the visit, Kumogakure demanded Hiashi's head as compensation as per the agreement in the treaty they had signed, or risk starting another war. Left with not much choice, Konoha seemingly handed over Hiashi's corpse, but it was, in fact, that of his twin brother Hizashi, upon whose death, the Byakugan was sealed away.

Which made thinking up a plan to prevent all of this rather simple.

Interesting little tidbit about the architecture in the Hyūga Clan District. To give all their members privacy within their homes, they specially reinforced the materials to be able to block the see-through ability of the Byakugan. However, it also made it so that strong chakra signatures couldn't be detected **inside** the structures. I mean sure, the people would feel something, but it would be difficult.

Outside, however, was a different story…

* * *

Hiashi woke up the second he sensed the massive chakra flare coming from the direction of Hinata's room. Quickly getting dressed while Higure promptly consoled a crying Hanabi – as her crib was for now in their bedroom – Hiashi ran to locate the source of the flare.

He arrived at Hinata's quadrant to see the delegate from Kumo being tied up and paralyzed by the guards on the scene while some of the attendants were checking his daughter. Realizing they were performing the standard test for poison and blood extraction – as well as a sack in the corner – Hiashi made a reasonable conclusion before three ANBU arrived.

Usually, ANBU couldn't enter a clan district uninvited, but there are regulations in effect that allowed emergency entrance if a disturbance was felt or reported.

So they investigated.

A shorter ANBU quickly got up and approached Hiashi.

"Hiashi-sama, we detected an unknown and large chakra flare from this area. Can you please explain why your guards are currently tying up the delegate from Kumo?"

Hiashi stared at his guards who looked up as they finished. "Forgive me ANBU, but I just got here before you arrived. Based on what I can see, it seems that my guards have caught this Kumo-nin in the middle of kidnapping my eldest child. Is that correct?"

The guards nodded.

"I do not, however, know who or what caused that chakra flare that alerted us. I can only assume that it was someone from the village since they alerted us that the crime was occurring."

The ANBU swore as he took the information in, "Hiashi-sama, the peace accords were just signed."

Hiashi nodded, "And we caught a ninja attempting to steal from us. I doubt that was covered in the treaty. Plus, he **is** still alive."

Catching the meaning, the ANBU nodded. His two subordinates grabbed the delegate and Shunshined away.

"Hiashi-sama, please report to the Hokage to explain what happened here and make a report."

"I'll be there in an hour, Tori. I need time to let the Elders know what happened and to corroborate the story with the other guards."

Tori nodded before he Shunshin away.

Hiashi watched as Higure rushed to a terrified Hinata and hugged her. Hiashi wished he could have done the same, but he had to maintain a stoic face – he was the Head. He noticed his brother Hizashi and nephew Neji in one corner watching the scene. Neji had just received the accursed seal on his forehead today and was still wearing the bandages. Confusion was evident on his face as he seemed to be asking his father questioned that there were no easy answers for. Noting his brother's panic, Hiashi gave his brother a nod, one which Hizashi returned after a surprise.

Tonight, Neji would learn the dark truth of what would have happened had Hinata been taken to Kumo.

And what would have possibly happened if the delegate had died by Hyūga hands.

This was not a conversation he would wish on a four-year-old.

As Hiashi was about to leave to change for his meeting with the Hokage when he felt a presence watching him. Activating his Byakugan, Hiashi searched the surroundings until he spotted a crow watching from one the trees near Hinata's room.

Observing that the crow was just that – albeit with a stronger than expected chakra network – Hiashi decided to chalk it up to paranoia as it cawed and flew away into the night.

* * *

" _Thank Kami that the True Henge gives me the actual physical characteristics of whatever I am transforming into it. How no one has ever noticed this with the original 'Naruto' is beyond me. Although, it could be the effect of being a jinchūriki of the Kyūbi. I mean, kitsune are trickster…"_

* * *

 _Hour later…_

Hiruzen rubbed his head in annoyance as he – as well as Ibiki and Inoichi – listened to Hiashi recount of what happened earlier tonight.

"I need to summon Jiraiya – give me a moment."

Reaching out for a scroll in one of his blood-sealed cabinets, Hiruzen quickly unfurled something Jiraiya made recently for convenience. A 'bastardization of Minato's Hiraishin' as his student described, it was basically a two-way teleportation connection between a pair of scrolls. It allowed Jiraiya to quickly be summoned to a scroll paired with his and back, cutting his travel time significantly as well as the expediency of his information. It had significant downsides, however. One was that it required Jiraiya to find a remote area to use his scroll, as he needed it to remain hidden, so he had a point to return to and so that it wasn't moved by an enemy. Second, he needed to be sent back and called in by a person from one end, which at the current moment was his Sensei. Third – and probably why Jiraiya called it a bastardization – he could only link the pair. If Jiraiya ever managed to overcome the summoning and number limitations, Hiruzen suspected that he would be able to create high-speed gate points for Jiraiya to use – and if possible, other ninjas as well.

The tactical advantages of this were astronomic at best. This wasn't even accounting the potential economic profits as well.

And all because Jiraiya needed a quicker way to get to his godson in case of emergency.

Hiruzen wasn't going to push for Jiraiya to finish this innovation of his. Space-Time Ninjutsu and Fūinjutsu were difficult enough as it is and fusing the two together wasn't something he was going to rush. The only reason Minato managed to complete Hiruzen was that he was a genius and because Kushina helped.

In any case, Jiraiya responded almost immediately and was summoned. Noting the atmosphere in the room, Jiraiya slouched, "What happened now, Sensei? Did someone make another attempt at Naruto's life without me knowing again?"

Hiruzen anime sweat drop, "Don't worry Jiraiya, there hasn't been another attempt on your godson's life."

'Again' was unspokenly implied – there have already been a few in the last three years. Most done by the civilians, a few by ninja who couldn't control themselves after losing their loved ones, and two by foreign ninja's who were visiting the village at the time for whatever reason.

Those two only had their minds wiped and let go. The rest were dealt with accordingly.

Jiraiya sighed, "Lay it on me Sensei."

 **One explanation later…**

Jiraiya crossed his arms, "I know that Kumo is desperate for more bloodlines since they are rebuilding, but this doesn't sound like A."

"You can tell as well?" inquired Hiruzen.

"Yeah. The Raikage may be a bull-headed, militaristic, muscular hot-head, but he isn't stupid. No, this screams planted fake mission."

Hiashi looked up, "How so, Jiraiya-sama?"

Jiraiya looked around, "Are the ANBU in the room?"

Hiruzen shook his head before Jiraiya made a few hand signs to create a privacy jutsu. "This feels like something Danzō would do."

Everyone frowned. "Hear me out. Danzō always wanted to get his hands on a Byakugan for his Root program, but he never could. This sort of backhanded tactic sounds just like something he would do."

Hiashi – barely containing his rage – asked the question, "How so?"

"This is going to sound crazy – mostly because of how farfetched it is – but here's how I would do it. I would falsify a mission from the Raikage to the delegate with no actual meeting occurring and make it S-class to prevent him from talking. Then, intercept him with ninjas disguised as other Kumo-ninja to take the Hyuga off his hands and into Danzō clutches. In the process, they would mind-wipe said delegate to forget he ever had the assignment. We would scream foul play, they will play the 'show me the evidence' card, we will claim mind-wipe, they claim 'how,' and we go deeper and deeper into the whirlpool. That's not even considering the backlash had a Hyūga killed the delegate. If they did, A would have to save face by demanding a Hyūga in return – either because it was his plan or because he needs to show strength."

Inoichi inquired, "You suspect that Danzō has a hidden Yamanaka in Root?"

"You suspect he doesn't? I wouldn't be surprised if he had members from all major clans other than the big three. Uchiha and Hyuga watch their members too carefully to pilfer one even if 'killed' in the field, and the Senju line is for all intended purposes dead."

Ibiki considered what he heard, "What is our course of action then?"

Jiraiya noted the 'go-ahead' nod Sensei gave him pushed on, "Simple – we double down. Ibiki interrogates him to confirm my theory and get anything interesting out of him. Inoichi goes in afterward to erase the events of last night from his mind and the memories of getting this mission. Hiashi goes back to his clan and makes's sure this stays buried – the fewer people know about it, the better. Outside the Council, of course. We send the delegate back with the signed treaty, and we wait. If A doesn't make waves, then we know that the Raikage had nothing to do with this. If he does make waves – and I will know – and tries to find out what happened to this guy, he can't make an inquiry since he would have to admit that he send out a ninja to kidnap a Konoha citizen while we had a peace accord. Either way, it's a win-win in my book."

Hiruzen smirked, "Does anyone disagree with Jiraiya's proposal? Good, then carry on then. Jiraiya, stay behind."

Everyone else bowed before leaving.

Hiruzen took out his pipe and started smoking it, "Jiraiya, you sure you don't want to take the hat off my shoulders?"

Jiraiya smirked, "Sorry Sensei – it's not for me. I just can't see myself behind the desk for the rest of my life. Plus, I love my work. Sure, I already risk my life whenever I split my chakra three-ways to make Shadow Clones to help me out with my spy work and writing, but it's worth the risk of a surprise attack. I can only trust myself to look out for Konoha."

Hiruzen smiled, "I understand, Jiraiya. I have been trying to get Tsunade to reconsider, but she isn't budging. I may really have to consider another candidate soon – I am too old for this shit."

"Please, you will outlive us all, you stubborn bastard."

Student and teacher shared a laugh at that. Hiruzen wiped a tear before turning serious once more, "How certain are you that Danzō had his hands in this?"

Jiraiya leaned closer, "I have the same gut feeling as when Dan died during the Second War."

Dan Katō's death during the war was a somewhat buried discussion at this point – not something brought up. Besides the fact that his death was odd in Jiraiya's book – even if it was the war – he just couldn't buy that Dan got sloppy and didn't set up a barrier for his Reika no Jutsu. Add in the fact that Tsunade seemed to have developed hemophobia – a death mark for a doctor – as well as losing her fiancé all screamed cover up to the spymaster. Add in the fact that Danzō – or rather his 'supporters' – were pushing her to settle down and marry someone else to continue the Senju line just solidified the conspiracy.

Jiraiya suspected that Danzō was against the union since he had nothing on Dan. Whether or not he wanted the line to die off or actually continue was uncertain since Tsunade left the village. Danzō never made a move on her – that Jiraiya knew of – but it wasn't something he wanted to bring up.

Hiruzen, aware of his student's theory, didn't outright dismiss it. Tsunade has finally gotten over her fear with the help of Inoichi – the one Yamanaka Hiruzen trusted outright – who in turn admitted that the phobia was rather firmly rooted in her mind to his liking. Plus, ever since then, there have been subtle inquiries into whether or not her eggs could be donated. No one questioned if Tsunade could still conceive a child despite being in her early 40's. However, using surrogates would be more efficient. There was no actual call or desire made yet, but Hiruzen could practically smell Danzō's gauze on the rumors.

"You know that there is nothing I can do about this Jiraiya – I have no inside man within Root."

"What about Kakashi?"

"Ever since he rescued Kinoe… I mean Tenzō, from getting the cursed seal, Danzō kicked him out – Inu is purely ANBU now. Thank Kami he never bothered giving **him** the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal. With what we managed to get out of him, I managed to put a tighter leash on his Root activities. What comes of that is to be seen."

Jiraiya nodded in understanding, "If that is all Sensei, I have to get back. I was on an expedition in Oni no Kuni [Land of Demons]. I've been hearing rumors that Orochimaru was carrying out experiments there."

"Very well. I hope to see you again soon."

"Same thing, Sensei."

Hiruzen smiled as he summoned Jiraiya away. After allowing the ANBU to return to the room and removing the privacy jutsu, Hiruzen sat behind his desk in annoyance. It was too late to go back to sleep, so he decided to go back to his paperwork.

Oh, how he hated paperwork.

He knew there was a running bet among ANBU of how long it would take before he snapped and set a pile on fire in his rage.

He knew of it because he started the ANBU betting ring when he was in it. That's how he initially got his moniker 'The Professor' – by making predictions and analyses that always led him to win his bets.

Say what you will about the group, but they have their ways of getting their jollies and maintain comradery while keeping their secrets.

Honestly, Hiruzen still wandered to this day how Minato could smile every day as he got all his paperwork finished on time. He would never tell him how he did – all he gave him was a scroll that he made him swear not to open until he finally deduced it.

It was so headache inducing. Jiraiya probably gets more paperwork then him, and he keeps up with it with his…

Hiruzen eyes bulged.

Jiraiya keeps up with is paperwork… with his Shadow Clones.

Trembling in an odd mixture of rage, shock, and what can only be described as a face that was reminiscent of 'how could I be so stupid?', Hiruzen reached for another blood-sealed cabinet. As he unfurled a scroll Minato left behind long ago that he was told never to open unless he figured out the solution to paperwork on his own. He saw only two passages on it.

"Don't maintain more than two Shadow Clones to help you with the paperwork. You can do three if you are certain you can risk the chakra usage. Dispel them every ten minutes and use the recycled chakra to summon a replacement. Allow yourself hourly breaks every few hours through the day to recover chakra. I preferred using meal times for this or during physical training to keep in shape."

Hiruzen's eye twitched as he read this before he moved on to the next passage.

"Hit forehead on this circle here after realizing how the proud and mighty Professor missed such a simple jutsu to help him out with the evil deity known as paperwork."

Hiruzen noted the red circle drawn underneath with a cartoon of Kushina smiling and pointing at it. Both his eyes were now twitching as he noted three more lines underneath.

P.S. - It took Kushina less than a minute to come up with a way around paperwork – Uzumakis always did think outside the box.

P.S.S - I made Jiraiya swear never to tell you after I told him and he was forced to use the red circle as well.

P.S.S.S – You know that I had ANBU watch me as I worked right? Couldn't you have asked them what my secret was? They would have told you if you ordered it.

And at that point, Hiruzen lost it and started hitting his head on the red circle muttering 'stupid' to himself, over and over again.

* * *

The three ANBU in the room were silently taking pictures while exchanging money. One of the most outstanding bets was finally going to be called in. After checking the betting pool, they realized that Inu was about to make a killing.

* * *

Jiraiya was putting away his summoning scroll as he sensed one of his trigger markers – seals that only activates if certain conditions have been met or 'triggered' – burned away. He laughed realizing that Sensei has finally figured out a way around paperwork.

Guess the 'slip-up' he made finally reached his ears.

* * *

Anko woke up in a shock from her bed, looking outside her apartment window, as if sensing someone in great pain and trauma that wasn't caused by her.

* * *

At the exact moment Hiruzen started smacking his head, all other current Kages either woke up or stared in the direction of the Land of Fire, sensing that one of their kin has finally managed to defeat the demon known as paperwork.

* * *

A crow who watched everything transpire within the office – even reading lips when the privacy barrier was set up – was rolling on the ground outside the Hokage Tower losing his mind laughing after witnessing the spectacle of Jiji realizing he could use Shadow Clones to help with paperwork.

* * *

Kurama and the rest of the Narutos who were watching this through their collected senses were rolling around on the ground hollering and losing their minds.

Ao slowly got up – still clenching his stomach – and wiped away a tear, "Oh Kami… I know we were planning to tell Jiji how to do this in the future, but that was so worth it! Screw changing the timeline, this was worth almost losing our lives in the fall!"

* * *

 _October 10th, years later…_

I stood inside his new apartment in one of the nicer sections of Konoha with Jiraiya at my side.

Some kids get a bike for their 5th birthday. I got an apartment. Not like I really needed it though; the ninjas who ran the orphanage where I was were very nice. The kids bullying me at times was a problem, but that was dealt with by a well-placed prank.

I now see why 'Naruto' pranked so often… and that it was more difficult then it looked. The logistics and planning for some of his pranks must have been ridiculous. How the hell was he considered a dunce? Granted, it could have been instinctual – like Fuinjutsu to an Uzamaki – but still, the physics and mathematics alone must have been torture.

Granted, that isn't the case anymore. With Obā-chan, Shizuna-ane, Iruka-ani, Jiji, and Ojī-chan (Jiraiya), I was 'educated.' Had to pretend that I struggled with writing, reading, and math at first, but I accelerated quickly. Iruka mostly did the job of the teacher – most likely solidifying his desire to teach at the Academy – while the others just tested me from time to time when I visited them. Iruka chalks it up to me being naturally smart; the others already know I am Minato's son, so they assume my smarts come from there.

Makes me sweatdrop a little thinking that it implied that Kushina wasn't as gifted in the brains department.

The adults were becoming an issue as of late: its only been issues with selling food and giving me the looks, but I don't doubt some will start overcharging me for other necessities.

Never really had any fears about walking through the town; sure, I got dirty looks, and my advanced hearing allowed me to hear their whispers. But really, as a kid with an adult knowledge, it really didn't faze me. Attacks against me are almost non-existent since the ANBU keep watch over me, and I run away and hide from the rest. The fact I know Henge in secret helps.

How the ANBU haven't noticed it yet is beyond me. To be fair, I haven't really started abusing the few techniques I am comfortable with... yet.

Jiji, Jiraiya, and Tsunade are on top of everything, so it's probably not going to get that bad, but one has to be vigilant.

In any case, Jiraiya assured me it would be better if I stayed here. He promised that someone would always come by to check up on me. I honestly thought that Hiruzen would veto the crazy idea of giving a five-year-old his own apartment and two stipends – still amazed I managed to trick them into that – but apparently, I was more mature than most pre-teens.

That should have bothered me, but I didn't care.

Wonder if Clan Heads will start using me as a measuring stick for their kids to imitate?

Didn't really have much on me but Jiraiya brought some basic furniture and goods in storage scrolls to get me started. He wanted me to develop my own tastes and décor rather than influence it.

Guess he was more of a 'let the kid discover himself' then 'hands-on parent.'

Speaking of which, now is the perfect time to address something that always intrigued Father about the 'Naruto' universe – their level of technology.

After reading the news and hearing whispers from the traders and townsfolk – and actually living in the village and all – I would say that the technology is somewhere between late 70's and late 80's of Father's world. It's somewhat tricky to pin down since the nations don't use fossil fuels at all, so they don't have specific things like say cars or rocket ships. They do have windmills and water turbines, but that is still considered new tech at this point, with solar panels still a glimmer in someone's eye. Hell, despite having steam power, a train is deemed to be innovative. Based on Father's knowledge, I am terrified of what will happen if uranium is ever discovered.

Granted, knowing the likes of Orochimaru, it would have happened at this point. That or some of the summons of this world would have warned people against it – radiation would be an antithesis to nature and all that.

They do, however, have batteries, cameras, computers (64-bit), e-mail (infant stages since, you know, ninjas can apparently hack), telephones (no mobiles), television, DVRs, satellite dishes, video games, and wireless radio. There are other things, but these are the big ones.

Some places have more advanced technology in specific fields, like the Land of Snow - with their trains and power generators - and the Land of Sky - with their advancement in aeronautics – coming to mind.

Other things that I can at least consider the norm are around, some aren't. Credit cards or the very notion of 'credit' don't exist – long-distance money transfers do, however, so that's a thing. Pesticides haven't been created, but genetic engineering and study of DNA are, so that's a toss-up. I will admit that their knowledge regarding sciences is more advanced in general to keep up with all the plants and animals that are affected in multitudes of ways by chakra. That's not even considering all the poisons and viruses out there in the world.

Printing presses are a regular thing, as are vinyl and cassettes, so big plus for me there. Can't wait till they figure out how to store music on disks – walkmans are weird. Video games are alright for now; they seem to be following the same pattern that Father's world did.

The music itself is an issue, but that is probably because there are so few genres. Although considering that survival is still a major priority for some people and that technology isn't particularly widespread, it is accepted. I mean, even in the manga, farming and fishing seemed to be the primary way of living.

Entertainment hasn't really caught up socially with the advent of television. Theater and live shows are still considered more popular than say movies, albeit the distance is shrinking. TV shows themselves haven't caught on yet: most television programming is more informative, and news focused. I am chalking it up to the fact that the people haven't figured out about advertising, so they have no need to make TV dramas or soap operas to market them.

That or the fact that not enough house-wifes actually exist in the nations to market off of them.

Wonder if I can get a computer and start making the digital music our Father has memories of? That would require a band for other stuff though…

Anyway, I am getting off track. In summation, the technology present in the nations is decent is what I am saying.

"So, any plans little Gaki?" smiled Jiraiya. How the hell he still managed to twist his words and keep sending me to treatment without mentioning Kurama outstand me at times. I've heard of phrases like 'double-talk, ' and 'stretching the truth,' but this is ridiculous. Hopefully, with my new found freedom, maybe I can convince everyone that I found out about the Kyūbi through reading on my own. Yeah… they can't argue against that.

"Not much, Jiraiya-san."

I use Ojī-chan sparingly since I already call the Hokage Jiji. Speaking of which, Hiruzen is an actual grandfather now since Konohamaru was just born… which unfortunately caused Asuma to leave to be a member of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Turns out since Asuma's sister – who was younger - gave birth to Konohamaru, Hiruzen has been trying to talk Asuma into finally settling down. I guess things were said and Asuma left. I knew this was going to happen and since I never actually met the guy I wasn't too hung up on it, unlike Jiji.

Jiraiya sat down on the couch he and his clones – and thanks for that excuse in the future regarding the jutsu – have placed in the center of the room. "Well, say it out loud. Speaking your thoughts helps sometimes."

I shrugged, "Nothing fancy I guess. I mean, it's spacious sure, but it is still a one bedroom apartment with a large studio-like living room. I guess I'll take advantage of it and make as much extra space as possible – probably have shelves put in everywhere for stuff. Maybe a small garden in the back near the window – just cuss. Maybe some weights or bag to hit, TV in the corner. Probably splurge on kitchen stuff though – it's ridiculous how much stuff you need to make ramen."

"True," grumbled Jiraiya. He and his wallet were acquainted with Naruto's love of ramen, as was Hiruzen. "What about the bedroom?" snickered Jiraiya.

"Probably get a large bed, so I have space to roll around at night. Honestly, I think I'll just walk around town till inspiration strikes."

Jiraiya smiled, "Well alright then."

He reached into a back pocket before giving me more ryō which I put in Gama-chan – I actually like the frog wallet, sue me – for later. "Okay, that's from Hiruzen and me and should cover whatever you may want to buy. Just remember: I am already paying for this place so your allowance won't be a lot, so save up for the nicer stuff in the future, okay?"

I smiled, "Sure thing, Jiraiya-san."

"Now I have some stuff to take care of, but I'll be back in a few days. So see you later Gaki."

I waved and smiled Jiraiya off as he left through the door. I made a quick glance at the surrounding buildings, not finding any ANBU that I could see. I quickly closed the door and the window blinds.

I have been waiting years to try this out. While Tsunade didn't want me working with ninjutsu due to my condition (which thankfully she managed to 'regulate'), Jiraiya got around that by convincing Iruka to teach me chakra control exercises.

Tsunade gave him a decent smack for that, but I don't think she really put any effort into it. Something about the way she and Jiraiya have been getting along seemed off… Oh well, it will come to me.

In any case, that combined with Kurama's cooperation means that unlike the original 'Naruto,' I currently have decent chakra control. I haven't started learning to walk on walls yet, but I had the Leaf Concentration in the bag: I managed to get up to four leaves on each arm. I can't walk with them, but I can spin them independently of each other, so that says something.

So, making a cross with both my hands and dividing my chakra into five large pieces, I shout out, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

As expected, four sources of smoke appeared. From them came out Aka, Ao, Midori, and Kasshoku. There was one thing wrong though…

"I thought you guys were supposed to look like me."

Everyone look at each other realizing that they, in fact, looked like they did in the mindscape – same clothes as each other, but different hair and eyes.

We all looked at each other before the four made the hand-sign for Henge and changed to look like me. I opened up my wallet and took out the extra cash I have been storing for this day in advance, "Okay, everyone takes some and goes buy stuff for themselves. Afterward, we will dispel and confirm one of our biggest worries and discuss if I can still use the normal Shadow Clone Jutsu or not. Got it? Brake!"

The other four snuck out the back window while I exited through the front door, allowing whatever ANBU that should be watching me stay only with me.

"Today should be interesting."

* * *

 **Aka**

Man, walking around the village felt weird. After spending almost five years inside 'Naruto's' head with Kiiro driving, it felt odd just walking around the place. And if that wasn't enough, all the looks people keep giving me were annoying.

How Kiiro deal with it is beyond me. If anything, the whispers just keep pissing me off more and more. To be fair, Midora finally managed to convince Kiiro to start pranking like the original 'Naruto.' Instead of attention though, we did it for stress relief.

And practice - let's not forget that. It was remarkable how easy it was to break into the civilian stores and set up some stuff during the middle of the night on a time release and the like.

But venting, definitely venting.

I Henged into random older kid before I enter each store on my walk. So far – nothing interesting struck me. I did, however, get some practice targets, a punching bag, an anatomically correct dummy with tenketsu points and the Chakra Pathway System, one with pressure points, and a Muk Yan Jong dummy since I thought Kasshoku could use it – he was the martial artist among us.

I did pass a weapons store but figured Midori probably bought something from there already. Books? Not my thing – I leave those to Ao and Kiiro. I did grab books on wire strings and grappling since they looked interesting.

Honestly, having a Fire affinity was so annoying. There wasn't really anything I can practice to prepare myself since all Fire jutsu Father knew were big and flashy. I mean seriously, whatever happened to tact? Earth jutsus are amazing for trickery and survival, Water jutsu are versatile, Lightning and Wind are okay, but Fire? It's all about the how much widespread chaos you can cause. No subtlety what so ever! Why can't it have something useful like a jutsu that gives you fire claws, or something that increases the heat in the surrounding area to distract your opponent?

I was so mad that I almost missed the Shinobi store. I didn't really notice the name as the scrolls on the windowsill caught my attention – jutsu scrolls. I practically gleed as I walked into the store.

Then I saw the prices.

No wonder clans were powerful – if C-rank jutsu were this much, and clans had hoards of their own jutsu, how were civilians supposed to compete? Suddenly, the Academy only testing three D-rank jutsu suddenly made a lot more sense.

Wonder if I could steal the old scrolls clans through away in the trash? I mean, they got to rewrite old scrolls onto new ones from time to time.

Onthat train of thought, what ever happens to the stuff people lose in the Forest of Death during the Chunin exams? Food for thought.

It also explained why so many people hated the Uchiha – their Sharingan and its ability to copy other people's jutsu basically guaranteed them a never-ending cash cow!

And a library of techniques…

THAT REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS!

I was so stuck in my train of thought that I missed the shopkeeper walked up to me, "See anything you like?"

"Tch… not really. If the prices weren't an issue, the Fire jutsu selection is."

"Oh? And what do you have against Fire jutsu?"

I raised my hands in annoyance, "It's all just so dramatic! I mean look at this; the 'Fire Release: Flame' family basically breathes out something big and bulky to obliterate your enemy, 'Fire Release: Great' branch trifecta involves raining balls of fire and the like, and don't get me started on the Uchiha clan 'secret' techniques. I mean, you have useful jutsu like 'Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique' [Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu] since it requires wires to work meaning you can aim for surgical precision. Then there is this 'Fire Release: Running Fire' [Katon: Hibashiri] which allows you to create a stream of fire you can manipulate. Hell, get good enough, you can literally circle your enemy into a trap."

The shopkeeper watched me in fascination, "Your Henged into a civilian, right?"

I looked up annoyed, "No, what gave me away?"

He smirked, "No need for the sarcasm – your not the first Academy student who tried improving their graduation chances by learning a higher rank jutsu. You are however the first to show at least **some** knowledge about what you are looking for."

He went behind the counter and gave me a scroll, "Here, this will help. Its the first of a series. The later ones become restricted, but I think you'll make the rank in the future."

I took the scroll worryingly and noted the name, "Hand Seals: Guide to Jutsu."

I looked up at the shopkeeper for clarification, my rage subsiding.

"Everyone knows the twelve hand seals: Bird (Tori), Boar (I), Dog (Inu), Dragon (Tatsu), Ox ( Ushi), Tiger (Tora), Snake (Mi), Rat (Ne), Horse (Uma), Monkey (Saru), Hare (U), and Ram (Hitsuji). What no one really thinks about is what they represent."

This caught my attention.

"No one really asks where jutsu comes from. The kids see their teachers, parents, or friends show them the hand signs, how the chakra flows, and you get a new jutsu to use with practice. But do they ask how the jutsu was made, who thought it up? No, they do not. It's why Tobirama Senju is considered an icon among people in my profession."

Now I was entirely focused, "Really? What did he do?"

"All Hokage have a nickname associated with them. Hashirama Senju was the 'God of Shinobi' not only for unifying warring clans and forming Konohagakure, but also for his absurd level power and his Wood Release [Mokuton]. That's not even counting when he used Senjetsu and entering Sage Mode to boost his power even further."

I nodded in agreement – say what you want about the guy's faults, he was basically a deity in human form.

"Then there was Hiruzen Sarutobi, known as 'The Professor' for his encyclopedic knowledge of almost all jutsu that wasn't clan bound, and even then I doubt he didn't know a large chunk of them to begin with. He is also called the 'God of Shinobi,' but that was more for how much he accomplished despite being inherently weaker than the previous Hokages – which is not an insult but a matter of fact. It is still debated that he could take on either one at his prime and more often than not, actually win. Then comes Minato Namikaze."

"The 'Yellow Flash'?"

"No, that name came later, after the war. Before that, he was merely 'The Genius.' Think about it, he became Hokage by the time he entered his 20's. Hiruzen took the hat in his 30's and passed it to Minato after nearly two decades wearing it. Hashirama and Tobirama only wore theirs at such young ages because the village was still forming. Only Minato got the hat through sheer skill and ability alone."

"Wow… so wait, what makes Tobirama so special?"

"Because Tobirama was the unsung genius. You see, Tobirama never really enjoyed being Hokage – he was a soldier, not a leader. So during the years Hashirama wore the hat until he got weak and had to pass it on, Tobirama researched. He sought out knowledge in droves and traveled the lands to quench his thirst. In time, he gained his moniker – 'The Inventor.'"

"Ohh… since he made jutsu like the Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation [Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei], the Flying Thunder God Technique [Hiraishin no Jutsu], and the Shadow Clone Technique [Kage Bunshin no Jutsu]."

"Yes, like those - although they are only famous for being kinjutsu, mind you. He created hoards of jutsu for a variety of elements. He didn't really dip into Fūinjutsu or anything else, but his contributions to ninjutsu and genjutsu alone were staggering."

Thinking about, a conclusion came to me, "So basically, all ninjas in Konoha owe their skill to Tobimara and his creativity, as it were."

"Not just Konoha – all the nations have jutsu created by him. And that scroll you have in your hand is the first of a long series that detailed his research into the field of Jutsu Sōken [Jutsu Creation]. That scroll alone deals with the intricacies of hand signs and their association and impact in jutsu creation. For example, it will explain to you why Bird is affiliated with Wind Release, Dog with Water, Tiger with Fire, and Snake with Earth and Lightning."

I held up the scroll in my hand with awe, its weight now felt. "I don't think I have enough money to pay for it."

The shopkeeper raised his hand, "No, by tradition, the first scroll is always free – it is in all the Shinobi stores, the Academy, and the Shinobi Library for anyone to study. It's the scrolls that come later that require forms of payment."

I tilted my head, "Forms?"

"Some scrolls can be bought, but a good chunk requires one to pass certain tests or be vouched by people in the field – I being one of them. Each scroll gives you more information that will be necessary to progress in your training. There are no shortcuts here – only dedication. I should warn you now that many fail in their pursuit. Are you willing to make the journey?"

I didn't hear the man. I was so giddy, so excited… I BURNED IN ANTICIPATION!

I smiled as I looked at the man in sheer joy, "I will walk through the roads of Naraka [Hell] itself to achieve my goals. So I swear, I will raise jutsu to a higher standard – a true shinobi standard, one of tact and wisdom, not showmanship and crass."

"And in that alone, you passed the first hurdle. I will wait for your return in the future. When you come back, just ask for the next scroll of the series."

I bowed, "And I shall."

I left the store, sensing that I wouldn't need to buy anything else today.

I probably walked around for hours in exploration until I walked up to the 'Dango Shop.' I was hungry, so I decided to indulge the sweet tooth.

I expected the worse, but lo and behold, a retire shinobi ran the place, and he had enough brain cells to know the difference between a kunai and a scroll.

I was planning to sit alone until I heard her.

"Hey, bring me some more sake and dango! Anko is living large tonight!"

And boom goes the dynamite.

Anko Mitarashi – the sexy dominatrix of Konoha's Torture and Interrogation Force.

I rubbed my hands in anticipation of screwing with her.

I jumped over the seat into the cushion opposite of her as a waiter put more dango and sake on the table, grabbing one of the sticks along the way. "Hey there pretty lady, mind sharing?"

Anko, in rage of her dango being taken, said the first thing that came to mind, "BUZZ OFF YOU PIPSQUEAK! Wait in line for your own," before trying and failing of snatching the dango back from Naruto.

"Well, I would if you didn't hoard all of it. Come on, I'll pay you back…"

Anko gathered everything on the table closer to her, "MINE!" she growled.

I couldn't help but smirk, "Oh come now – is little Anko afraid of little old Naruto Uzumaki?"

That caught her attention, "So you are the kid that's been playing pranks around town. Thought you'd be taller."

"And I thought you would remember that I am five and have the balls to call the Hokage 'Jiji' to his face."

Anko raised an eyebrow, "Touché. BUT I DON'T CARE! MY DANGO!"

Sighing and releasing that this was getting nowhere, I decided to play with fire. The guys agreed that we need Anko as a friend to get rid of her seal at some point.

Plus, hooking her up with Kakashi was still heavily debated even after all these years.

"Fine, fine, but if you are taking all the dango," I reached and took the saucer of sake, "Then I am taking a drink."

This caused her to panic, "Stop that, you idiot! That's alcohol! You can't handle that!"

"Oh please, if a little _girl_ like you can drink it, how bad could it be?"

I held the saucer to my face as she fumed, "You want to put your money where your mouth is little gaki?"

"Oh, I don't know," I smirked as I reached and pulled out a wad of ryō from my pocket, "I guess this stack is barely big enough to do so. Can you back up it?"

Anko growled and smiled as she slammed her hand on the table, "BARKEEP! Put two more flasks on my tab! This boy wants to play with the adults then I'll show him how we play."

I waited for her to pour herself a shot before clinking cups, "Game on bitch. First one to pass out pays the full tab and winner walks away with this wad!"

"DEAL!" she shouted as we both drank.

Ah… just like Father's memories showed. Alcohol truly does taste great…

Should I feel bad for knowing I am about to whoop her ass?

Nah – she wouldn't respect me any other way.

* * *

 **Ao**

Oy, oy… Kiiro wasn't kidding about the looks people gave Naruto. It made walking across town so much less enjoyable.

And it really did ruin the ambiance of the place. The manga didn't do the place justice – there were trees everywhere. The anime only showed the town and some training grounds, but there was so much more to it.

Parks, districts, shops, specialty zone, clan homes, there was so much to take in.

So what if I had to Henge myself a couple of times to get away from the staring eyes – it was worth it to bring a smile to my face.

Eventually, I come across the calligraphy specialty shop, 'Sumi wa Kami' [Ink and Paper]. Oh, how I wanted to get my hands on some real sealing ink and scrolls. Its one thing to practice within the mind but it's another to apply it in the real world. The Uzumakis were specialists in Fūinjutsu, and I plan to continue the tradition.

Shopping for materials proved to be more expensive then I realized, so instead I bought the Fūinjutsu skill books to build a foundation rather than the supplies. All of Father's knowledge of the art was based on techniques that he knew rather than the skill foundations.

Studying what little Fūinjutsu Father remembered made me realize something relevant as to why the Uzumaki Clan was so skilled at the art. After noting how Jiraiya always seemed to struggle with the art and yet I could somehow understand it inherently, I started thinking that understanding Fūinjutsu wasn't based on how much you knew, but rather how you saw it.

Which is when it hit me - low latent inhibition.

It actually made so much sense. Low latent inhibition resembles ADD in early decades of the individual's life and often correlates with distracted behaviors. This distractedness can manifest itself as general inattentiveness, a tendency to switch subjects without warning in conversation, and other absentminded habits, which is the original Naruto to a fault. Well, him as a kid anyway – he grew out of it eventually.

The upside of the condition – other then the fact it's inherent – is that it makes the individual see the world as pieces, rather than mere objects. And what is a Fūinjutsu Seal other than a collection of random kanji coming together for a unique effect? All the other Fūinjutsu practitioners are taught to see the seal as a whole rather than its parts. The Uzumaki's, however, consider the gears within the machine. When they build a seal, they think and make it piece by piece. Other practitioners just focus on the outcome.

That is not to say that someone like me is suddenly a genius in Fūinjutsu.

All it means is that I have a leg up in the field that others don't.

Other than the knowledge Father left me.

If I want to become a master, I got to start small before jumping to the big stuff. Which means I got to bring my hands up to snuff, but how? Practicing kanji is one thing, but I also need dexterity for these fingers. I already paint, but that too was mental. No, I need something else…

I was just passing back a music store when I noticed the instruments hanging on display.

I smiled as I noted one instrument in particular, "Huh… guess they have guitars here too."

* * *

 **Midori**

Ah, so many targets, so little time.

The guy who kicked Kiiro out of the grocery store a week ago – prank with glue and feathers.

The librarian who wouldn't let Kiiro into the library a month ago – temporary deafness.

People whispering around Kiiro words like 'demon,' 'monster, and 'Kyubi' – I'll consider not reporting them to Jiji.

Maybe I should just make a schedule of people to prank on a rotating cycle? Would be so much easier.

Wait no, not what I planned to do – looking for fun stuff.

Buy clothes? No, Kiiro wears orange – Naruto likes orange, ergo I like orange.

Buy books? Ao likes books, Kiiro likes books, Kasshoku sometimes likes books – someone will buy something.

Explore? Nah, do it later – busy jumping from building to building.

Go see other stores? I could use Henge, but it would be boring – nothing exciting in civilian stores.

OOOH, pranking supplies – Kiiro always goes for subtle, I NEED A BIG SHOWY PRANK!

I freeze in midair and almost fail the landing. I run down to gawk at the shop in front of me.

"'Fōji wa Ken.'- 'Forge and Sword' – NEAT!"

I run in – making sure me slamming the door doesn't make a sound – before gawking at the weapons on display.

Fuma shuriken and variants in one corner, kunai of all forms and shape in the other, chakra blades behind glass counters, swords and tantos on the walls for sale as well as armor, explosive tags, storage scrolls, and wire strings. There are even specialty items like senbon, kusarigama, some shikomizue for the elderly, and also a fan or two with a kusarigama nearby.

SO…MUCH…AWESOME…STUFF…MUST…NOT…DROOL.

Why did we let Kiiro hold on to Gama-chan? No way I have enough money to buy anything here.

Oh well – time to draw and make ideas.

I took out my pen and notebook as I started scribbling stuff down – so many ideas, so little time.

I wonder if they have a grading system to their swords like 'Meito'?

"Can I help you with something?"

I turn – girl, same height as me, grey eyes, black hair going brown in Chinese-style buns with short fringe-bangs framing her face, child size qipao-style blouse, bandages covering arms and smudges from smoke.

Yup, it's her alright – just like in the manga.

I give my friendliest smile, "Nah, just looking around. This place gives me so many ideas for weapons I want to make one day."

She actually squealed and gets twinkles in both her eyes, "REALLY? You like weapons too?"

"Like them? LIKE THEM? I love weapons!" I shouted as I waved my hands in the air with one and book in separate hands. "I want to grow up and be a ninja of renown for my Bukijutsu."

"Me too!" said the girl practically jumping for joy. "Everyone says that a ninja can't get famous unless they have a fancy jutsu or something."

"I call bullshit," as I deadpanned, "If that were true, then we wouldn't have the Treasured Tools of the Sage of Six Paths be infamous to this day or have the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

"I know, right?"

I raised a finger, "Let's not forget about Taijutsu masters or clans that specialize in close-combat fighting. Hyūgas may be shortsighted by not using any ninjutsu or genjutsu, but you can't deny the fact that they got famous by only relying on Taijutsu. Then there are guys like Might Guy."

She tilted her head, "Might Guy?"

"Jōnin, master of who knows how many fighting styles and possibly weapons, as well as the only one in the village who is able to use at most six of the eight Hachimon. If it weren't for his personality and clothing style, he would be a perfect ninja example of succeeding by specialization, but when you get to that rank, you need a quirk to cope… What were we talking about?"

Anime sweatdrop, "We were talking about Might Guy and what are the Eight Gates?"

"Something you children shouldn't know about," Said a loud booming voice.

I turned to expecting to see a man. I had to look up to see a mountain of a man instead.

Large, muscles basically chiseled out of stone, black hair and full ace beard, square-shaped head, eyes that could cut stone, tunic and gloves usually seen with blacksmiths, and an aura that could make kids wet themselves.

HE WAS A MONSTER!... Panic now over.

I jump and grab on to his leg, "Are you the one who made these weapons? What metal ratio do you use? Does water play a significant impact on the forging process and if so, do you use different kids for different weapons? Where do you…"

I would have gone on chattering if a woman's laugh didn't distract me or the surprised look on the man's face. I studied the woman – short, dainty looking, calluses on her hands showing that she works with them frequently, long silky brown hair, a feeling of serenity to her yet a sensation of power behind it as well.

"Oh, this is rich, Yama. I only though Tenten had so much enthusiasm for weapons."

The man now known as Yama tried shaking me off as Tenten did her best to suppress her laughter. Yama looked at the woman – who I assumed was his wife – and almost pleaded, "Kawa, can you please get this child off my leg… PLEASE?"

I smiled at the man's hesitance to try and remove me, so I just jumped off. "Hey, I am no child. I am Naruto Uzumaki, dattebayo!"

The women named Kawa smiled at that, "Well then, Mr. Uzumaki, welcome to the 'Forge and Sword.' To answer your question, yes, my husband has built many of the weapons here. Some were made by Iō, a ninja tool inventor, so those have to be specially ordered. And as a crafts store, we can't disclose our secrets to just anyone who passes by – we have our honor as craftsmen and as members of the Hyaku Clan."

I sulked… for like a second.

"Wait a minute – Yama Hyaku means 'Hundred Mountains,' Kawa Hyaku means 'Hundred Rivers', and your name is Tenten Hyaku meaning 'Hundred Heavens'… I see a theme here.'"

Yama's eyebrow actually raised, "Huh – guess you are smarter then you look. Tenten hates it when people make a joke about her name which is why she prefers just to go by her given."

Now I tilted her head, "What joke?"

Anime sweat drop as he leaned forward, "You know… ten by ten is…?"

I rubbed my head, "NO NO NO, NO MATH! I hate math!"

Everyone anime sweat drops.

Tenten was first to interject, "So… you like making up weapons?"

And back to sulking, "No… I don't know how to make them… I like drawing them and thinking up cool stuff with them, but I am too young to make them."

Yama leaned back up, "You look fit enough to at least start working in the forge. How old are you anyway?"

I raised my hand, "I am five."

Everyone's bulged. A five-year-old was not supposed to 4 feet tall!

"NANI? But I am a year older than you!" shouted Tenten. Granted, she reached her parent's knees, but when your parent is literally named 'Mountain,' it's a different standard.

I smiled and rubbed my hand against her hair and messing it up, "And one day when you grow up, you may end up taller than me and any other kunoichi in the village with a dad like that!"

Her face took on a slightly red tint – I didn't notice her mom smirk nor her dad gain a tick mark on his forehead.

Distraction needed.

"What were we talking about again?"

Tenten frowned and deadpanned, "You are very scattered brained, aren't you?"

"Tsunade says I have A.D... something… GIANT NODACHI!"

Yama and Kawa quickly registered the phrase, realizing that the boy in front of them was the jinchūriki while Tenten got stars in her eyes, "YOU KNOW TSUNADE, THE LEGENDARY SANNIN?"

I looked at her nonchalantly, "I guess. I have a bi-monthly check up with her to treat a condition of mine."

Tenten looked confused while her parents breathed out in relief and eavesdropped, "Condition?"

"You realize that I look older than a five year old, right? Plus, there are these." I lifted my lip showing some of my fangs, as well as the claws since Kiiro didn't file them down recently. She looked in wonder, "Is that some sort of blood-line?"

I shrugged as I put my lip down, "Not really – she says that my chakra system and body is slightly out of synch, so my physical energy reacts weirdly to it. She thinks that as I get older, it will fix itself, but for now, she treats in."

"Wow…" awed Tenten, "That's my idol for ya!"

"I thought you wanted to be a weapons mistress?"

"Doesn't mean I can't be a medical-nin as well! I would be the greatest medical-nin of them all – able to protect my allies and heal them!"

Her parents smiled – I didn't.

I grabbed her wrist and pulsed some of my chakra into her repeatedly while 'pretending' to take a pulse.

"What are you…"

I put my finger to my lips in the universal message of silence.

From my father's knowledge, I recalled that Tenten only found out about her lack of inherent chakra control near the time she graduated from the Academy. Meaning she dedicated a good chunk of her childhood learning something that wasn't going to be of genuine use in the future. Sure, it gave her rudimentary medical skills, and her knowledge of anatomy helped in her aiming and fighting, but…

Better correct this now rather than later.

I looked at her thoughtfully, "You just started the Academy right?"

"Yeah…" said Tenten worryingly. Her parents looked on with interest.

I send one more pulse of chakra, slightly shifting it to my element, to confirm my hunch. Noting her reaction, I let go of the hand and looked at the parents, "Are your names as revealing about your natures as I suspect?"

"In what way?" asked Yama.

I pointed, "You're Earth, and she is Water, right?"

Kawa smiled, "He also has a Fire secondary that he strengthened over time."

I nodded, "I thought so."

I turned dejectedly as Tenten, "Well then, I have bad news, good news, and better news for you then."

I raised a finger before she could interrupt, "Bad news – you don't have enough natural chakra control to be a medic-nin."

Tenten became dejected as I pushed on, "While that doesn't mean you can't train and improve your chakra control, you will never reach the level of control needed to be as great as Tsunade – this is a fact, not an insult."

I clapped my hands, "GOOD NEWS THOUGHT!", shocking Tenten out of her gloom. "You primary affinity is Wind, a perfect element for Bukijutsu!"

"Really?" inquired Yama. "No one in my family has ever demonstrated a natural affinity for it – Kawa?"

Kawa pointed at her chin as she looked up,"Hmmm… I think I have an Uncle who has that affinity but he is the only one."

Tenten slowly smiled, "And what's the better news?"

" _Time to screw with continuity,"_ I thought

I rubbed my hands in anticipation, giving off a laugh that slightly scared her, "You may not have medical-nin ranked control, but you have enough – along with your chakra supply – to _maybe_ pull off something else Tsunade is known for."

"Which is?" she asked in confusion.

"Consider this – how is Tsunade able to break grown men and shatter boulders with her bare hands and feet?"

Tenten gawked, "She can do that?"

I crossed my arms, "Yup – I've seen her slap Jiraiya-sama from one end of the village to the other more than once. She does it by building up chakra in her fists and legs, releasing it on contact with a target or environment, causing severe damage. If you want, I can put in a good word for you so she can show you how it's done."

She paused, "Jiraiya… as in the Gama Sennin? As in the only recognized Fūinjutsu Master of Konoha?"

I shrug, "I see him from time to time when I visit Jiji."

"And your Jiji is?" asked Tenten in worry.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi."

Silence.

"He isn't my actual Jiji," collected sigh of relief, "more like I am his honorary grandson. I am an orphan you see, and since I always get called in for my pranks and what not, we've gotten really close."

Tenten looked at me in shock, "You know a lot of famous people you know that."

I gave her my widest smile, "That is because I am Naruto Uzumaki, Konoha's Number One Unpredictable Ninja, Dattebayo!"

She couldn't help but outright laugh at that while her parents smiled, with Kawa approaching him, "Well then Naruto, thank you for your offer, but I think our Tenten is too young to start shattering boulders with her bare fists just yet."

I rubbed the back of my neck, "Sorry… figured I should offer though."

She raised her hand, "Oh don't worry – I only said she is too young. When she is old enough, I'll consider your offer once more," Tenten's eye twinkled, "if she gains enough chakra control first." Tenten sulked.

I smiled, "Okay then! She'll catch up and be ready in no time then!"

Again, Tenten got a red tint to her cheeks as she smiled. Noting where this was going, Yama interrupted, "Since you've helped out my daughter discover her element affinity – something that I will confirm with chakra paper later – how about I give a discount on whatever you want to buy?"

I turned and bowed to him, "Thank you Yama-sama, but I think I am too young to have an actual weapon just yet. I wouldn't mind getting some scrolls explaining weapon forging or maybe even some relating to Bukijutsu and such."

He smirked, "I think I can offer you something like that. I keep those books in the back on request."

I couldn't help but smile – this turned out to be a great day!

* * *

 **Kasshoku**

It is interesting what you can find if your patient enough and keep your eyes open.

As well as Henge yourself.

In one shop I managed to locate a book detailing exactly how to make resistance and weight seals. Perfect for Kiiro to use to strengthen himself and in turn our bodies. Ao probably knows them, but it's better to buy now than regret later.

In a civilian clothing store, I managed to find a bulk sale for some decent clothes – NOT ORANGE – in various colors. Ninjas could always Henge, but who wants a whole day maintaining a constant focus on chakra control? Most people aren't Tsunade using her perfect control to support her giant rack – which was something that Kiiro wished he never found out. Or ever tell anyone else - Tsunade liked to joke that her body naturally grew her famous rack when she went off bras in exchange for her own power.

In the 'Yamanaka Flowers' I manage to negotiate a decent deal for a fair number of pots, earth, and a variety of perennial flowers to liven up the home. Inoichi – who was running the counter that day – did not seem to mind that I got such a great deal. At least the storage scrolls where free of charge.

I also found a shop that – in my Father's words – sold Eastern Medicine. In this world, it's technically a holistic and natural healing shop, but they market themselves as a tea shop.

Despite his interest in the field, Father's knowledge regarding the use of herbs and such was rather… limited. He was more interested in growing them rather than harvesting them for their uses. And in my learning of gardening, I gained an insight into the field that piqued my interest.

So, seeing as how I already had the pots and earth necessary, I decided to buy some books of the use of medicinal herbs, as well as some seedlings to grow them. As a bonus, I found books on acupuncture, massages, and Reiki.

Father never really bought into the plausibility of Reiki and acupuncture, but seeing as how everyone and everything in this world has chakra, they may actually be viable in this world.

I will probably buy the senbon needles at a later date if it piques my fancy.

I was flipping through a book on Tai Chi, debating on whether or not to buy it, when I saw a certain Green Beast of Konoha enter the shop.

Deciding to eavesdrop _a little_ , hearing Guy order what he called 'his usual.' I tried watching what the old medicine woman put in the bag, but I only managed to recognize a few: Ashwagandha, Ginseng, Schizandra, and Holy Basil.

I did not need to hear the rest since I managed to associate exactly what Might Guy bought them for.

Waiting for him to leave, I calmly approached the medicine woman, still disguised as a nondescript civilian pre-teen who wanted to start guarding as a hobby.

"Pardon my intrusion, Elder-Sama, but that was a ninja, was it not?"

The old woman turned to me, "He was, child, why do you ask?"

"I did not intend to, but I accidentally heard some of the herbs that he brought. Tell me, is it not easier to see a medical-nin for a much quicker if slightly more expensive form of muscle recovery, pain relief, and energy replenishment?"

She smirked, "For someone who just forayed into natural medicine, you seem well-informed about what I gave to my favorite customer."

I bowed, "Forgive me, I simply performed some slight reading before deciding to fully commit to trying my hand in the field. In any case, am I missing something?"

"Not necessarily. While the advancement in the field of medical ninjutsu has progressed healing in massive bursts, it also forgot some of the subtleties of the field. For example, in the old days, poison making was considered a necessary field of study to become a medic since the only difference between medicine and poison back in the day was dosage. Now, medical students focus more on the medial aspect than the neutralization and improvisation aspect. There is also the fact that medical ninjutsu also relies on the energy of the one being treated as well. In most cases, this is a non-issue since hospitals are a controlled environment but in the field? It only becomes viable for ninja since civilians could pass out from sheer chakra exhaustion. There's also the rapid nature of it as well. In the hands of a professional, one can heal bones and grow muscles in moments. But if a novice makes a mistake in the healing process, they can't exactly go back and fix it. There is also the inherent unpredictability and requirements of the field."

I raised a brow – this was no something that our Father had information about. Granted, he had some medical knowledge from his world and understanding of medical-ninjutsu, but nothing like this.

"Forgive me for asking, but what unpredictability and requirements?"

"People already know that to be a medical-nin, one needs high levels of chakra control. As a result, most medical-nin are women since their usually low chakra stores provides them an inherently good base chakra control. However, there are also secondary requirements that most are not aware of until later, that being elemental affinity."

A lightbulb went off in my head, "Ah, you are referring to inherent natures of elements and their effects on ninjutsu techniques."

She smiled, "Good, you understand it. Tsunade was lucky that she had a natural Water affinity, as its adaptability and versatility allows her most options in healing techniques, as well as amount and degree of application, plus the number of surgeries she can actually perform without issue. Other elements are less fortunate as they are limited. Lightning nature medics are specialized in neural medicine and brain surgeries, but weak in actual treatments. Earth nature is second only to Water, but they are used more in the role of stabilizers or for accelerating recovery by strengthening the patient. Fire nature is only allowed for healers and even in monitored capacity, as their element allows them to accelerate cell recovery and body regeneration, but one misstep and they can give their patient cancer. Finally, Wind natures are not healers – they are only surgeons. Desired of course, but for those who spend a great deal of time learning to heal, realizing that they inherently are weak medics is rather… depressing."

Thinking it through, it made perfect sense. "So why is natural medicine used in certain situations?"

"First, its something anyone can learn, which is why it still so popular with civilians like yourself. Secondly, it has a gradual and natural effect on the person using them – there is no sudden change in the homeostasis of the body. Third, at times, herbs can do things that ninjutsu can't not."

"Such as elevate depression or to aide in pregnancy?"

"Now you are getting it. If this was a metaphor, medical ninjutsu is like a hammer: blunt, general, encompassing, strong, fast. Natural medicine is a carving knife used by craftsman: precise, slow, gradual, specific, patient."

I nodded understanding, the message of what was being told. "One last question elder. Did Tsunade ever study natural medicine?"

She gave me a full smile, "How do you think she figured out some of her legendary techniques? Observing the effects of herbs allowed her to figure out the bodies reactions and its subsequent effects on the body."

Out of curiosity, I did some mental math. Coming to a logical deduction, I inquired further, "Were you the one who taught Tsunade about the benefits of natural medicine?"

"Oh Kami no! I was barely older than her when she came to my mother for advice. She only stuck long enough to get the basics but knowing her genius, that was all she needed."

Considering that Tsunade was just in her 40's and this woman looked like Hiruzen when the manga started, I am thinking she was being generous.

Being a 'good' person, I decided to indulge her, "That is nice to hear. Does that mean you intend to pass this store to your children as well?"

She actually frowned at that, "Unfortunately, my daughter is an airhead and my son is a Chūnin in the Analysis Team. Thankfully, his wife is pregnant, and hopefully, those smarts pass on to his kid."

"One can hope," I smirked.

The medicine lady seemed to decide on something and reached for a book behind the counter and gave it to me. I flipped through it, "A cookbook?"

"People may laugh at the concept of foods that are hot, cold, and neutral, but certain clans do buy into it. The Nara Clan for example, who are all yin rich, require a diet of warming foods to strengthen their yang and maintain balance. The Aburame Clan needs warming foods for similar reasons as their insects consume massive amounts of chakra, as well as their vitality and physical energy, or their yang. The Akimichi Clan, on the other hand, need a diet of cooling foods to do the opposite of the Nara. In any case, there are merits to at least give this topic a shot."

Seeing no harm, I decided to pay for the book.

Could not hurt to have someone among them be a cook.

* * *

 **Kiiro**

Okay, going over the checklist one more time.

Cooking utensils and books? Got it.

Food surplus to last for a week or so? Get it when going home.

Book on sewing, home repair, and crafting? Check.

Clothes for all personas? That took a while actually but check.

A turntable for home and cassette player for travel, as well as a wide selection of listening material all sealed in scrolls? Double check. Something about vinyl just sounds so much better than cassettes. I'll wait and see how the nations deal with CDs in the future.

Some mishmash of furniture and home decorations? Dubious check – more than likely the other personas will have already bought something of interest or they will build something themselves. Hence the books.

So a few more checks and…Huh… I am done?

I looked at the sun, noting that it had been a few hours already.

Shrugging, I decided to go and check out the Training Grounds – maybe there is one that can provide a decent place to train away from prying eyes.

Took me a while before realizing that some fields were just too far to get to – troublesome.

I did check Grounds 1 through 10 – even the Zero Training Ground wildlife preserve out of curiosity – before finally coming to the Third Training Ground.

Father's knowledge showed that this was the place that the original Naruto underwent the hellish bell exercise with Kakashi. I planned to explore the ground in quiet, but the sound of someone practicing katas caught my attention.

I walked silently through the foliage before spotting a Bruce Lee rip off.

We have 'family' activities every night when I sleep, so sue me for watching movies from Father's previous life. Kurama gets a kick out of laughing at how humans without chakra tried to imitate superhuman feats with Wire-Fu.

We do respect Bruce Lee thought – he was a civilian who trained to be as strong as a ninja.

In any case, I shook my head before finally pegging the kid as Rock Lee. A six-year-old Rock Lee, one who had just recently started the Academy.

I frowned as I realized that it also meant that he was already being harassed for his chakra issues. The lack of talent in ninjutsu and genjutsu would come later from that.

Fans of the manga had many theories about why Lee couldn't use chakra. The prevailing one was that his chakra coils and/or network were underdeveloped or flawed in some way. This was supported by the fact that he could still mold and use chakra to walk on surfaces and on water, as well as develop enough skill to dispel genjutsu. One must also not forget the fact he can use the Eight Gates, since they basically force open tenketsus along the Chakra Pathway System, implying he actually has everything in place then.

I personally think - based on Father's theories - something else is in play as well. Chakra is the mixture of physical energy and spiritual energy. From our reading, physical energy is the energy collected from each and every one of the body's cells and can be increased through training, stimulants, and exercise. Sounds simple enough – it's the energy the body possesses. It's why the clans that had naturally high vitality and longevity – Senju and Uzumaki – had such a leg up in the chakra amount department. It's the other one that gets tricky to pin down. Spiritual energy is understood to be derived from the mind's consciousness and can be increased through studying, meditation, and experience.

To me, that reads as willpower, or the motto of 'I think, therefore I can.' Perfectly reasonable: ninjutsu and genjutsu are basically the user's willpower affecting and imposing their reality on the rules of the universe. It would also explain individuals like Yakumo Kurama who lacked a healthy body and as such, had high skill in genjutsu. But that reasoning brings up more issues.

If we play it by that tune, then the original Naruto's belief that he can accomplish anything is also probably what influenced his chakra amount – it also apparently affected his control since both energies most likely clashed with each other.

Here's the issue though. Out of all the Rookie Twelve, Lee trained his body to the peak physical condition. Plus, his desire actually meshed with his training, meaning at some point, he should have achieved some sort of balance, especially since he had enough control of what little chakra he had to walk on walls and water.

Something just never added up…

I finally snapped out of my thought when I realized that I have been watching Lee kick and punch a post for almost an hour from the shadows.

I was not about to become a stalker.

Curiosity be damned…

I walked out of the foliage as Lee was taking a breather, noting my presence, I waved, "Hey! How you doing? Getting some training on the weekend?"

He wiped off his sweat, "Yes! I am here training to become the best ninja possible!"

I nodded, "I can see that – little young for such high dreams though, no? You just started the Academy didn't you?"

Lee nodded enthusiastically, "Indeed. But I believe that I must work twice… no, FIVE times harder than my classmates to achieve my dream!"

I tilted my head, "And why is that?"

"Well umm…"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Well met Naruto, I am Rock Lee. You see, we have recently started training to attach leaves to our heads for chakra control…"

This caught my attention, "Little early for that isn't it?"

Lee shook his head, "We thought so too, but the Hokage has instituted certain educational changes as of late. Nothing serious – only slightly more leanings toward physical activities and the lessening of certain civilian topics. The leaf training is the easiest form of chakra control and doesn't strain any of the kids that badly. They figure better start practicing now than were are older."

 _Huh, guess learning the Shadow Clones uses against paperwork is already paying dividends – let's see how this plays out in the future._

"Okay, go on."

"So we started training, but unlike everyone in my class, I struggle with even the most basic of the exercises even though I don't get tired from them."

"Really? That seems… paradoxical…"

He raised his fist in determination, "Which is why I am training my body! If I cannot match my classmates in one aspect, then I shall outrank them in another!"

I smiled. Truly, he was a determined little guy – it pays off big time though. But what he said struck a nerve. That and if I recall correctly, he only started getting real attention when he finished the academy in six years.

I already altered Neji's life, why not add another?

"You mind if I check your chakra? I happened to have a certain talent in this. Maybe I can tell you what your issue is – wouldn't hurt."

"Ummm… okay, I guess." Said Lee as he gave me his wrist.

I started checking his pulse and sending my chakra into him in waves. I would bullshit and use Father's knowledge to help him out but being treated and basically raised by a super-doctor does rub some knowledge off onto you.

I've seen Tsunade do something similar enough that I snuck a medical book on chakra pathways and tenketsus a few months back. I combined that with my chakra practice and some of Father's medical knowledge to create a rather interesting skill.

Quick medical explanation. The body has a chakra network which is powered by chakra coils that spread it through the body. Think of the coils as arteries and veins that make up the circulatory chakra system. All knowledge regarding the network usually ends there, but I took it a step further. Working off that metaphor and including the effects of sealing tenketsus, I proposed that a 'heart' or vessel must exist that actually houses the chakra that the body uses. Simply stating that chakra permeates ones being seemed a bit odd, especially since if that was true, sealing off tenketsus shouldn't cut off chakra access – unless the chakra network was very precise and chakra was stored somewhere specifically. It would also explain why civilians couldn't become ninja even if they had a healthy chakra network: not enough gas in the tank to work with. It's why civilian turned shinobi are considered the weakest since they didn't have generations of selective ninja breeding to piggyback off.

Basically, the technique amounted to me striking the vessel of what was subject's body and deciphering the echoes. Some sounds include physical energy, mental energy, vessel size, and rate of production. There are others like for elemental affinities and kekkei genkais, but that's neither here nor there.

So I started listening. His element came out as Earth, which was expected. His physical and mental energy also sounded good which was already a red flag.

I checked his coils. Very, very constricted, as expected. Barely enough to allow any chakra to flow through.

Then I checked his vessel.

I didn't hear the echo.

Scratch that, I know I hit it, and I know I made a sound, but there was no echo. I started hitting it from different angles before I slowly realized something terrifying.

His vessel was huge.

Let me explain. My vessel – Naruto's – was huge, but that was to compensate for both his – or rather mine - naturally high chakra amount, chakra production, and Kurama's chakra on top of as well. He was a stamina freak for a reason – he had chakra to constantly burn off.

Lee was a different story. He had a large vessel, but a low rate of chakra usage. Granted, he could store it fine, but with his restricted coils, it was like forcing a tsunami through a faucet. No wonder he had such issues despite such strong training foundations – he was blessed with suck. He had the necessary chakra, he had the training and body needed, and the essential mentality, but his own body prevented him from utilizing his naturally vast chakra reserves. In hindsight, it made sense: he was the only one other than a few Jonin who managed to perform the Eight Gates, implying that he had enough inherent chakra strength to deal with the feedback, something that no Genin and most Chunin didn't have. Hell, it even explained how he had the stamina to keep up with the chakra monster known as Naruto.

Wait…Natural chakra… Nature Chakra…

Oh sweet Kami.

Naruto had trouble achieving Sage Mode because he already had a huge amount of chakra to work within an overflowing vessel paired with his horrible chakra control.

Lee is basically an empty container since he can't get his chakra out, meaning that he always has a finite CONTROLLED amount within his body…

And if rumors were to be believed, achieving Sage Mode has been known to achieve some rather powerful regenerative and healing capabilities.

"Naruto, are you alright? You're sweating a lot."

I pulled my hand away from his wrist, realizing that I was in fact sweating; from fear or exhaustion, I didn't care. I slowly realized that I was staring at a sleeping dragon – a very, VERY big one.

I started breathing in and out to control myself. "Lee, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Hear me out completely before you react."

We both sat down, Lee becoming both serious and frightful of what I found out.

"First off, your natural affinity is Earth. Secondly, you will never be a normal ninja."

Lee was about to cry before I raised my hand, "I said NORMAL ninja."

That caused him to stop and wipe his tears away. "I am not going to explain what is wrong with you mainly because I suspect I am the only one who can confirm it besides Tsunade-san. Just understand that this is something that is never really checked… but it can be abused."

Lee noted my apprehension – good, he realizes that it is serious.

"What you have is a double-edged sword – detrimental if not forged properly, and potentially world-shattering if trained correctly."

Lee gulped in shock, "I… I am strong?"

"NO! You have potential to be strong, but right now, you are weaker than the average trainee. You still need training – specific training – VERY specific training."

I rubbed my chin, "I'll have to talk to someone at one point, but for now, I only have one solid piece of advice to you: seek out a Jōnin by the name of Might Guy."

"Might Guy?"

"He is also known as Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey. He is in a similar position as you – not good at ninjutsu nor genjutsu, but a master of Taijutsu."

"Really?"

"Yes. Tell him your story, beg him day and night to take you as his disciple, do everything in your power to convince him otherwise. And if he ever asks, tell him that you have the disposition of a sage. If he inquires, tell him that the one who examined your chakra told you this. If he reacts as expected, he will go to the person I will talk about your case."

Lee wiped off his tears as we both stood up, "Does… does that mean I can be a ninja?"

I smiled, "Yes. One day, you will make a fine ninja. Not a normal ninja, though. Rather, an outlier."

"An outlier?"

"Someone outside the norm. We have great ninjas, good ninjas, superb ninjas, geniuses, savants, and even gods among men. But then there are people like me and you – outliers, uncategorizable for one reason or another."

Lee stared in fascination, "What makes you an outlier?"

I laughed at that, "Trust me, compared to me, you're freaking normal. Maybe you'll find out one day. In any case, take my advice. Heck, based on the time, you can probably catch Guy's end day run around the village."

I pointed at the Gates of Konoha, "He finishes there after running the gate circumference ten times."

Lee stared in shock, "Ten times?!"

"Oh don't worry, that's just his cooldown amount. If he is being competitive with Kakashi Hatake, he will do a hundred on his hands."

As Lee tried to register this, I just smiled and waved as I started walking into the city, heading back to my apartment. "Well, hope our paths cross one day again."

And Kami pray that it's not against each other.

* * *

Kiiro walked into his apartment through the front door – since he still suspected that an ANBU was watching him – and registered his brothers waiting for him.

Aka was almost passed out on the couch mumbling something about drinking Anko under the table and winning rent money – which we didn't need.

Ao was fiddling with a guitar and smirking every time Aka winced at him adjusting the tune.

Midori and Kasshoku were fiddling around with some training dummies and a meditation mat.

"Alright, clearly everyone here had an interesting day. How about we address the elephant in the room and answer two of our more troubling inquiries?"

The Narutos got up and stood in a circle, worry clearly on their faces. Kiiro noted the head nods, "KAI!"

As four Narutos dispelled, Kiiro anticipated the mental backlash.

None came.

"Fuck – well that's going to be a problem."

Jumping straight to the second issue, Kiiro made a cross-sign and used only his chakra signature to make copies.

" _Alright, one of you try to summon yourself."_

One of the clones morphed into Ao – which was super weird since it was an actual morph. Kiiro watched - along with his copies – as the hair changed color and actually grew.

When all was done, two Kiiro's left the room, did something, and the audible sound of being dispelled was made.

"Well?"

Ao shook his head, apparently not receiving whatever the Kiiros did.

"Double fuck – this is going to make abusing the Shadow Clone training method tricky."

" _Hey, Kiiro, Ao – get in here. We may have figured out a solution to the first problem."_

* * *

Kurama stared at the giant sakura tree that formed in the center of Naruto's – does the term apply in this case? – mindscape, only a few feet behind his usual meditation spot.

Well, he calls it a meditation spot since calling it 'chakra dispersal zone' seemed too clinical.

Kiiro and Ao walked toward their brothers and Kurama, all looking up at the tree.

(Kiiro) "Was this here before?"

(Kurama) **"Nope. It formed right after the four entered back into your mind. Scared the crap out of me when it suddenly started growing out the ground – haven't seen anything like that since the Mokuton."**

(Midori) "Anyone else bothered by the fact that the Sakura tree has yellow leaves instead of pink?"

(Kasshoku) "I think I know why."

The brown-haired boy approached the tree and placed his hands on it. As he did so, brown leaves started to grow on the tree.

(Kiiro) "Hey – I know what you did today! And KAMI SHIT!"

(Everyone) "What?"

(Kiiro) "Deposit your memories, and you'll understand."

As red, green, and blue leaves appeared on the sakura tree – now dubbed 'Kioku no Ki' (The Tree of Memory) – Kurama placed his paw on it last to see what transpired as well.

(Aka) 'Wait, why are you checking the memories, Kurama? Weren't you with me today?"

(Kurama) **"No, you only felt my presence. I was only in Kiiro the entire time – you'd think your little memory experiment would explain why."**

(Ao) "Guess that's another issue we're going to have to work around – no near limitless chakra for everyone to share."

(Kasshoku) "That is not the only thing we must worry about – the Kioku no Ki has a weakness as well. It only gives memories – no context. I am checking Midori's memories, and I do not know any of the weapons he saw at Tenten's parent's shop."

(Aka) "And I don't get any of the plant crap hippy boy other there studied either."

Kiiro sat down on a rock in a meditative pose, thinking about everything that transpired today.

(Kiiro) "Alright, let's address everything point by point. Our little… Naruto Council… seems to present us with several disadvantages. Point one – Shadow Clones can only transfer knowledge to personality it was made from."

(Ao) "Point two – memories of events that were carried out by one person isn't recalled by another unless its part of the tree."

(Midori) "Point three – even if said memory is part of tree, the knowledge related to said memories is not present unless we choose to add it to said tree. Ergo, unless we put it into the tree, you have to learn about what's in the memory to understand it. I guess we are all specializing then."

(Aka) "Point four – unless we Henge to look like Kiiro, I mean Naruto, we will look like we do in here. I am assuming this is something we will have to tell the Hokage eventually and MAYBE pass it off as a Kekkei Genkai – a weird one, but one none the less."

(Kasshoku) "Point five – the physical training will also have to be carried out by the main body as inhabiting one the clones is still training as said clones meaning that only the muscle memory will carry over, not the muscle mass."

(Kurama) **"Point six – there is only one of me and five, no wait, seven of you in here. I can't be everywhere which means neither can my chakra. You may all be Uzumaki's with large natural reserves, but unless I can transfer between each one of you while in combat, spend your source wisely – especially since as clones and not the main body, you will have a finite amount to work with before dispelling on your own."**

(Ao) "Point of order – can we all agree to at least put some general knowledge into the tree for all to share? We can keep out professions and interest to ourselves, but other stuff we can share, agree?"

(Aka) "Hmmm… Agreed. But don't share any knowledge regarding jutsus or anything that requires specific elements. Everything else is fair game. Also, point of order – are books that we memorize perfect recollections? I don't want to re-read a book someone else has read already but not put into the tree."

(Midori) "I think the written word isn't so much of an issue as muscle memory is – we all technically share one body. Can it handle whatever we plan to train in if Kiiro is mainly going to be the one handling the actual muscle training?"

(Kasshoku) "True – it is something we will have to experiment to determine in the long run. Kiiro, can we assume you have already planned something out?"

Kiiro nodded, realizing that despite everyone – minus Kurama – was sitting a circle around him, they were all looking at him for guidance.

He sighed in exhaustion, realizing this is how Kakashi probably felt when he trained the original Team 7.

"Alright, let's all agree on a game plan. We have about four to five years to train up before the rebellion is expected to occur. In that time, we must change certain things in our – and the villages – favor. As you all know based on my memory of today, Lee revealed that Jiji has already begun implementing certain changes to the curriculum in the Academy. Whether or not this is because he discovered he could do paperwork with Shadow Clones or because of some Butterfly Effect outside of our control is beyond us. In any case, can we all agree to not make any big or rash decisions without first making a majority decision?"

(Everyone) "Hai."

"Good – this is going swimmingly. Alright, first off. Aka, I get the village pissed you off but rein in it. We will make a pranking schedule so all of us can burn off some steam if we feel like it. We can even team up if the need arises."

Midori rubbed his hands in anticipation with an evil smile on his face while Kurama had anime sweat on his head. " **He is clearly the one who's going to abuse that system."**

"Duly noted. Also, thank you for getting those dummies. The Muk Yan Jong is something that will definitely come in handy if Kasshoku decides to study Wing Chun that Father learned out of curiosity. There are gaps in the knowledge so you may have to check the Taijutsu Library at some point."

(Kasshoku) "I figured the same. Father never actually studied any of the styles he saw in movies and shows – only the knowledge regarding them and some real-life footage. Worst comes to worse, I will seek out Might Guy, risks be damned."

(Everyone) "Our condolences."

"Good. Ao, Midori – are you willing to share the dummy with tenketsu points and the Chakra Pathway System when either of you are in control of the main body along with Kasshoku?"

Said Narutos' nodded in agreement.

"Good. Aka, I don't know what interests you have regarding wires and grappling – that's all you. I only request that you share some basics of both since they are covered in the Academy, and a heads up would be nice. In turn, Kasshoku will share his knowledge of grappling with the tree as well – unless you can share scrolls that contain knowledge between each persona separately – something to test out later…"

Kasshoku and Aka shared a look, pondering this as well.

"Also, you can keep all knowledge regarding jutsu creation to yourself; it is outside my interests and the interests of your siblings. Should we share other element jutsus with you personally for self-study since you plan to focus on Fire?"

(Aka) "Keep them to yourself – I am too green to confuse myself with that much influx for now. Give me a few years before I can at least make some headway in the field on my own. Plus, I want to focus on Fire jutsus."

"Fine – everyone will hoard respective elements jutsu repertoire. Just tells us when you are ready. Also, just because you can outdrink Anko doesn't mean you should. Your incentive to befriend her early on is not without merit though. Ao, can I assume your Fūinjutsu studies will eventually deal with that particular hinderance?"

(Ao) "On it. It will take time since I don't have a subject to test it on."

"Better that way. You left the extra money with the rest of the stuff you bought, right?"

Aka smiled awkwardly at the glare Kiiro was giving him, but he nodded nonetheless as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Good – that's our splurge budget. But still, that's the last time we drink like that in public."

Everyone nodded except for Aka who hanged his head in shame and slight annoyance of not being allowed to drink anymore – he enjoyed the flavor of the sake.

"Ao, please focus your studies on resistance seals. Our main body is too young to use gravity seals for training, but resistance won't strain our growing body. I'll buy the conductive chakra ink when you are certain you can do it. I'll practice the guitar strings to ready the fingers for you when you are in control."

(Ao) "Thanks."

"Midori, good job befriending the Hyaku and changing Tenten's interests – I will talk to Tsunade in the near future about possibly teaching her the strengthening technique. Can I assume you desire to forge weapons in their shop?"

(Midori) "Hai."

Kiiro sighed, "We will consider it. Can you practice Bukijutsu mentally? Good. If we find anything of interest for you, we will share it. If you get ideas that you need to write down in the real world, just give me a call, and I'll make you a clone."

Midora just gave a wide-open smile that Naruto was known for. Seriously, it was unnerving how much Midora reminded every one of the original Naruto. Except unlike the original, he wasn't as dense or stupid.

This is a fact, not an insult.

Kiiro turned to Kasshoku, "I guess the book you brought on resistance and weight seals came in handy, huh?"

The brown haired me smirked, "Indeed."

"Alright, I'll read it, and Ao can get started on learning. I also scan the books on herbs and other stuff you got – flipping through them should be enough for my mind to remember them perfectly for recall for you to use. Speaking of which, you want to study under that Elder woman by any chance?"

Kasshoku pondered, "Not for the foreseeable future. Like Aka, I do not have an understanding of which to work. Someday maybe. I will strike up a conversation in any case. For now, I wish to hone my physical skills. Speaking of which…"

"I will check the library for all of you guys, don't worry," said Kiiro as he raised his hand. "Anyway, I guess my training plan is set in stone then?"

" **Which will be what, exactly?"**

I looked at Kurama, "Why, the very basic - physical conditioning and chakra manipulation."

Kurama tilted his head, " **Manipulation? Not control?** "

"Same family. Manipulation is after shaping which is after control. Since I am primarily in charge of the body, I have to prepare it for these guys in the future. The physical conditioning should strengthen me up, and chakra control because I find using hand seals tedious."

" **You find using hand seals – the necessary part of every jutsu – tedious?"**

I waved my hand, "It's too much of a hassle – no offense, Aka – to memorize them all. Sure I'll train my hands, but I see seals as crutches. Arent the veterans able to shorten hand seals needed for jutsu with time to like, one seal?"

" **Yes… After years of training and conditioning their body to respond to said mental command."**

"So what? If reality can't keep up with me, that's its problem. If I can't force jutsu into existence, then I'll just learn to manipulate chakra to the point that I won't even need jutsu."

Kurama got curious, " **What do you have in mind?"**

I smiled, "Two techniques: Chakra Threads and Rasengan."

Kurama thought for a second and then gave his most evil smile, " **Oh, you're evil."**

I raised a finger, "Not evil – just lazy and knowledgeable as to how to play the game."

I got up, "Well, you guys have the game plan – I got to return to the real world. I have to set down the furniture, get the shelves in place, cabinets filled, plants planted, books organized, dummies propped. I also have to figure out a system for all the clothes Kasshoku brought – thankfully, he brought them in multiple colors. Wonder if Ao can make a seal that changes clothes with whatever persona is in charge?"

(Ao) "Should be simple enough since we all have distinct chakra signatures."

"Well then, Sayōnara!"

* * *

I opened my eyes and noted the clock – almost a minute. Good, seems like the whole 'mind faster than real world' time dilation works.

I summoned a few shadow clones. "You guys know what to do."

As my flock ran off with a game plan in mind, I had an appointment to keep.

* * *

"Hokage-sama, Naruto is here to see you."

Hiruzen looked up and checked the clock while two of his clones kept writing. Almost seven.

"Let him in, Shina. I am almost done anyway."

Hiruzen smiled as he saw Naruto walk into his office. He feared the worst when his status as the Jinchūriki was blabbed, but it seems with Tsunade and Jiraiya constant watch – plus ANBU – he was relatively normal.

Hassled by some civilians, but mostly normal.

If you disregard the fact that he looked older then a five-year-old, had whisker marks, nails that needed filling – that was an odd conversation to have – and canines.

Still, Hiruzen couldn't help but feel at times that something else was off with his favorite prankster.

Naruto looked up at him, "Guess paperwork finally agrees with you, Jiji."

"It took time, but I finally figured it out," chuckled Hiruzen.

One year. One year of using Shadow Clones and Hiruzen never felt better. He already noticed that the rate of grey hairs growing has nearly stopped.

Minato's advice to train physically while recovering chakra has done wonders for him. He feared how far he would have fallen power wise had he not discovered the techniques application. Sure, he couldn't practice jutsu, but staff training with Enma and seals? That was good enough to keep him at least in his physical prime, age be damned.

He was the Hokage, damn it, he had a village to protect!

Naruto started at his copies, "I see that your copies are easing your workload?"

Hiruzen eyes slightly narrowed, "And you know what they are how?"

"Jiraiya," replied Naruto nonchalantly, "used them to help me move today. Heard you've been implementing some new curriculum in the Academy."

"Yes. I noticed that certain… individuals… have slipped in by-laws in past documents and such. Benefited the civilian-born students who entered the Academy by making classes geared more toward the intellectual rather than physical and ninja related. How did you hear about that?"

Naruto approached Hiruzen and sat in the chair in front of his desk, "Met an interesting kid in a training ground – Rock Lee. Nice kid, dedicated to the Will of Fire. So what do you have in mind for the Academy? Less math and sciences, more survival training?"

Hiruzen smoked his pipe, "Survival training may not be a bad idea, but removing the sciences? Civilians will put up a hassle."

Naruto shrugged, "Then just modify the existing problems into ninja-applied scenarios. Physics and Math? Shuriken throwing. History? Hidden Villages, essential clans, famous battles, and strategy. Biology? Chakra network and Kekkei Genkais. Literature? Well actually, keep that one as it is – kids need some normalcy."

Hiruzen considered this, "That… actually has merit."

"That's how Iruka teaches me from time to time – keeps me interested."

"I'll have to ask him about that – maybe the Academy does need a newer outlook on its lessons? He is chūnin, no? Perhaps I can convince him to take teaching classes until he is old enough."

"Throw in Shizuka as well – I think she needs to get away from Tsunade from time to time."

Hiruzen smirked, "I am sure that she gets enough time off as it is, Naruto." ' _If you only knew the excuses that Tsunade has to come up to get her out of the office…'_

"Anyway," started off Naruto as he leaned in, "can you put up the privacy jutsu, Hokage-sama?"

That stopped Hiruzen cold – Naruto NEVER called him Hokage. "What's wrong Naruto?"

"Nothing is wrong – just something I think you should know about Lee. I am just not sure if it's going to be a secret or not."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes as he dispelled his two clones for a chakra refund. "ANBU stay?"

"Yeah, I think they should hear this as well – they might know what to do with this information."

Now Hiruzen was less worried. How Naruto knew that he had three ANBU guarding his office at all times was beyond him – he calked it up to Naruto's talks with Jiraiya – but if he wanted them here, then it wouldn't be an A-class secret or more.

Privacy jutsu later…

"Alright Naruto, go on."

Naruto breathed in and out, "I got curious about Lee's condition – you know, his chakra control issues? So I tested out a technique I've been experimenting with to see if there was something wrong with his network – don't look at me like that Jiji, I've seen Tsunade do it all the time! Anyway, mine's a little different and all, so I kind of figured out what was wrong with him."

"Oh?" asked Hiruzen. He had heard that Rock Lee had difficulty manipulating chakra – but so did Might and look how he turned out. "And what was wrong with him?"

"Well… say that a person is like a water storage tank, with water being the chakra. Some people have large tanks, some have small, some have fast rates of water build up, and some don't."

"Okay, I get the analogy."

"Well… Lee's chakra usage is low because his pipes are small, but it's his vessel that's the issue."

"Too small?"

"No, too vast."

That piqued Hiruzen's curiosity, "I see. Well then, then the boy should have no trouble becoming a ninja then. Some training and decent control and he should have no trouble…"

"I may have made a suggestion to him as to how to train though – well, other than asking might Guy to be his Sensei."

Now the ANBU whinsed. Say what you will about Might Guy, but even they felt pity for whoever he took under his wing. Hell, he made their ANBU physical training look like a cake walk compared to his own personal routine.

"That… doesn't seem particularly bad. I am sure Might can go easy on him since Lee is a kid."

Naruto shook his head, "I only recommended Guy because I've heard tales of his Taijutsu prowess. I figured he would toughen Lee up for the real training I had in mind."

"Which would be what exactly?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, which meant – as Hiruzen realized – that he did something bad.

"Well, Jiraiya told me about his toads and the Sage Training he did with them. So I kind of got the idea that if Lee couldn't increase his own chakra usage, why couldn't he just use Nature Chakra as a substitute?"

"Well Naruto, other then the fact he needs a summoning contract and training, such an idea is… is…"

Hiruzen tried to make a rebuttal, but none came to mind.

"Hokage-sama," asked one ANBU as they emerged from the ceiling, "that wouldn't work, right? Everyone knows that to achieve Sage Mode, there must be a balance."

Naruto scratched his head, "I get that, but wouldn't it be easier for Lee since he has so little of his own chakra to work with? I mean, if he strengthens his body energy through Guy and his spiritual energy doesn't really waver, wouldn't a large vessel make Sage Training actually easier for him?"

Three ANBU looked at themselves considering what Naruto said while Hiruzen remained frozen.

"Did I say something wrong, Hokage-sama?"

Hirzen delicately and slowly refilled his pipe as he took down the privacy jutsu. "No Naruto, not at all. Your idea has merit, but don't forget – Lee is still a child. Maybe one day he can become a sage, but he first has to become a ninja, does he not?"

"I guess so."

Hiruzen smiled, "Look Naruto, its getting late – you've had a long day, you moved into a new place. How about we meet up for ramen tomorrow and catch up? We haven't had a good long talk for over a week now."

Naruto smiled as he got up from the chair, "Okay Jiji, that would be nice."

Naruto waved goodbye as he left the Hokage office. Hiruzen could only lean back into his chair, pondering what Naruto proposed. True, having a lot of chakra at beck-and-call made mastering sage training more difficult. Granted, Jiraiya was impatient to begin with, but his vast reserves are probably what made him get annoyed with the training. But still, to consider using someone who had naturally small reserves and a large vessel for sage training? The potential was frightening…

"Hokage-sama, Jōnin Might Guy here to see. He says its an emergency."

"Send him in."

As Might Guy walked into his office, Hiruszen interrupted him before he got a chance to speak with his naturally loud voice, "If you are here about asking me to take Rock Lee as your disciple you have my blessing."

That shocked the spandex wearing man, "How did you know, Hokage-sama?"

"Naruto came by and told me… he also told me why he recommended it. Tell me, Guy, what do you know about Sage Mode?"

* * *

 _Well, that worked out way too well. Oh well, Lee will thank me in the long run for this. Wonder what clan he'll get to train him? Doubt it will be Toad Sage, and I don't even know if Slug Sage exists since Tsunade has never shown it. Monkey or Turtle Sage seems possible – one for offense and one for defense. Wonder if he'll still learn about the Gates? Questions for later…_

Kiiro finally returned home to see that his clones finished setting up the apartment. He quickly dispelled them and took in his new home.

That's when he noticed a particular book series in one of the bookcases.

 _What the…must be something Ao brought. Damn that bastard – always the romantic._

Kiiro was about to put them as far away as possible when a thought occurred. _Well…Kakashi always read the book… Jiraiya always claimed he was a best seller because of them… how bad could it be?_

It should be emphasized that despite their age, all Narutos – even Kiiro even if he was updated late – were much older mentally, accounting for the time flow within the mindscape. Them reading semi-legal published porn was not out there since they were basically teens in a kid body.

So, taking the plunge, Kiiro opened the infamous orange book, golden light shining from its pages.

* * *

Kiiro finally closed the last of the published series, feeling ragged.

He suddenly felt his aching body and tired eyes. _How long was I reading for? When did the Sun come out?!_

He then noted that he finished the whole series. _KAMI DAMN IT!_

* * *

Jiraiya woke up in a jolt.

"Jiraiya, its five in the morning, get back in bed."

"Sorry Hime, it's just… I felt a disturbance in the force…"

"Unless that disturbance plans to help you in not pissing me off, get back in bed."

Jiraiya sighed, "Sure thing Tsunade, sure thing. Besides, it can't be that bad…"

* * *

 **To all the people wondering if I have made Naruto overpowered in my SI, note that I am already writing in some specific shortcomings to his fake Kekkei Genkai. There are more dangerous ones as well that I have yet to mention that will come up later in the story.**

 **So, bullet points:**

 **1\. Neji and Hinata – basically the Hyūga Clan – have been changed**

 **2\. Tsunade is with Jiraiya – about time. More will come from this.**

 **3\. Hiruzen uses Shadow Clones – effects already apparent.**

 **4\. Tenten gets to know 'Naruto' earlier and is forewarned about her chakra**

 **5\. Lee – I will make you superhuman… BECAUSE I CAN! (IT'S OVER 9000!)**

 **6\. Naruto's personalities are slightly explained – more to come.**

 **7\. Ninja titles already picked out for all personas, including Yin and Yang (those two will come in later in the story.)**

 **8\. I need a good website for English to Japanese translating – anyone knows a good one besides Google?**


	3. Exposition Round 2

You know, seeing the Academy for the first time really does spark something inside of you.

Just hear the name – The Academy.

Right next to the Hokage tower, the institution that gave us the greatest hits, such as the Three Sannin, Kakashi, and Itachi.

You know, when you actually list them out like that, it actually becomes a little depressing.

So I choose to ignore that feeling.

I mean, here I am, Naruto 'Kirro' Namikaze Uzamaki – not that anyone really knew that -, an eight-year-old starting the second year of his ninja training, with five more years ahead of me.

Yeah, no way in hell I am graduating early – I've screwed up continuity enough as it is, finishing early would make it even worse.

Besides, in what universe is forcing a child to graduate early beneficial in the long run? I mean, sure, you're a genius, but you're going to be forced to work with people much older than you without the necessary social skills. Plus, when the people who you were supposed to graduate with you do graduate, said genius will say no literally nothing about them. And since they are of the same generation, more often then not, you will be forced to work with them. For a village that has such emphasis on teamwork, that's a big con.

There are other reasons as well, but those two will do.

Also - what, you thought I was hiding underneath a rock for the last three years? Screw you, we – that is to say the Narutos - made continuity our bitch.

I think I need to backpedal here. Maybe a few highlights and quick summaries will clear a few things up while I trudge through the first day of the new year.

Now, where to start…

Let's get the big shockers out of the way.

Somehow, no one has caught on that there is five distinct version of Naruto perusing throughout the village.

Yeah, I know, weird. I have ANBU watching me since the civilians – and the idiot ninjas – still made my life a living hell.

Well, tried to anyway.

The original Naruto had to suffer alone and rely entirely on the good nature of Jiji, Teuchi, Ayame, a few others, and his pranks.

Me? Or rather We, had ourselves for support and a much older mentality, as well as more friends and associates. Pretty hard to emotionally and mentally abuse someone whose got the upbringing to handle it.

They tried other ways as well. Jiraiya usually took care of those pretty quickly. That or Tsunade beat the crap out of them whenever she did my physicals and asked me about my week. Say what you will, but she knew every time when I wasn't getting enough food or was holding something back. Not that I didn't do anything about it myself – our looser morals gave us options, such as robbing the store in the middle of the night or setting up an accident.

No, not THOSE kind of accidents. More like paperwork you didn't want the higher ups spotting, or rumors of you being a spy and the like.

Trust me, spending a day in T&I answering questions with Ibiki will ruin anyone's day.

Where was I? Right, three years of someone getting away with basically having five different Narutos in the village.

What else…

Oh, there was Jiraya's and Tsunade's wedding.

Yeah, shocked us as well. I guess the thing about proximity and romance actually works. Shizune caught them in bed one too many times and basically demanded that they tie the knot already – not that Jiraiya wasn't trying. I mean, he was 45, and she was 46, they weren't getting any younger – not that Tsunade didn't try anyway.

The pregnancy forced Tsunade's hand, not that she didn't resist and had to be physically dragged everywhere like a spoiled brat to plan the wedding.

They had to involve Jiji in a few times as well. Despite his usage of Shadow Clones for paperwork and his recovered skills and strength, it still took the combined efforts of him and Jiraya to finally make her say 'yes' to the wedding.

I was the best man for Jiraya despite whatever shit the haters barked. They quickly changed their mind when Tsunade got involved – a pregnant Senju is not anything anyone wants to face.

Six months later – she was about three months along during the wedding, which was very beautiful and even had the Daimyo in attendance – I was declared godfather alongside Shizune [godmother] to twins. I argued against making a six-year-old a godfather, but Jiraya claimed that the kids would need someone their age to relate to in the future.

I just figured that Jiraya either had no one else to turn to or Jiji and Kakashi both declined.

In any case, Nawaki and Mito Senju – Jiraya, as an orphan, was more than happy to take Tsunade's name – were both born healthy and without complications, albeit after 12 hours of labor.

Tsunade made sure Jiraiya never forgot this.

She did not, however, force him to get a vasectomy.

There's a new pool going around ANBU now as to when the next Senju would be born.

I secretly put my money on the same time as Jiji – he wasn't called 'the Professor' for nothing.

Anyway… I had to wait all those hours alongside Jiraiya and a few of the clan heads and their wifes' in the waiting room. I'll get to those a bit later though.

The twins were almost two now, and boy were they a hassle for Tsunade to raise. Not that Jiraiya wasn't involved: yes, he still spends a lot of time outside the village, but he managed to create a pair of teleportation scrolls for Tsunade to communicate with him and allow him to be summoned whenever he could.

Good; I would have beaten his ass myself if he turned into one of those long-distance parent's.

Nawaki is blond with Jiraya's unruly hair yet Tsunade's serious personality, named in honor of Tsunade's brother. Mito has Tsunade's silky hair but was white and was more aligned with Jiraya's character, named in honor of Tsunade's grandmother.

What? They are two. There's not much else I can really use to describe them. I mean sure, I play with them frequently and take care of them when Tsunade is too busy. Running the Med-Nin Program – even with Shizune as her assistant – and the hospital administration took up a lot of her time.

Speaking of weddings, Shizune got married to Iruka.

Yep, she has been Shizune Umino – currently 22 to Iruka's 20 - for almost a year now. She dated Iruka for two years before he finally proposed. He went out of his way to make it memorable; I don't know all the details, but Iruka went on his knee next to a waterfall… that he made himself.

Yeah, he didn't hold back. I also found out that Iruka was a Water Primary and Earth Secondary. Father's knowledge showed that he was a Fire Primary and Water Secondary originally.

Oh well, Butterfly Effect.

Again, I was the best man at that wedding. Why you may ask? Because Iruka had yet to meet the traitor Mizuki and we had gotten close over the years. Not like actual friends - more like, older-younger brother dynamic wise.

As a wedding present, Tsunade gave the newly wedded couple a house. Shizune said it was too much and that she could have comfortably lived in Iruka's place, but she didn't take no for an answer.

Not that Iruka put up much of a fight: no man would ever look a rent-free, no-mortgage, well-sized house gift-horse in the mouth and have the balls to say no. Iruka wanted a family, and Tsunade knew it. Last I heard, they have become like those stereotypical sitcom couples Father used to watch. And by that, I mean they went all technical and scientific, and 'tried' whenever the data said it was the best chance for them to conceive.

I've heard rumors of Shizune running into the Academy in the middle of the day whenever her 'temperature' was right. Suffice to say, MANY of Iruka's male coworkers were envious of the action he was getting.

And yes, Iruka still became a teacher. Unlike the original though, he managed to work his way to Tokubetsu Jōnin before he decided to transition to teaching. His apparent specialization? Infiltration and information gathering. Or, more commonly referred to as 'wetwork.'

I have fucking James Bond as a teacher. I have half-a-mind to make him a martini – shaken, not stirred – and see if he likes it.

He only had a year under his belt as a teacher, but he was adjusting quickly.

What else, what else…

Guess if I am talking about couples, might as well mention the pairing I created.

 _ **YES…**_

 _ **I SUCCEEDED IN MY GRAND PLAN…**_

KAKASHI AND ANKO WERE TOGETHER!

It took me YEARS to trick the two into going out, and I mean that literally. While I was aware from Father's knowledge that Kakashi watched over me as Inu, tracking down Kakashi was a nightmare.

However, last year, I finally struck gold, leading to a series of events that led me to me meeting the illusive silver-haired bastard.

As if by Kami's hand itself, during one of my – Kirro if that wasn't clear – morning training jogs, I ran into Tora.

Yes, THAT Tora.

The ribbon on the ear gave it away.

He was smaller than shown in the manga and anime, although that was expected since he was younger.

Now, I feared the worse, since, you know, 'Demon Cat.'

By a stroke of luck, however, it seemed like Tora only became aggressive whenever he saw his owner or anyone wearing a headband.

Since I fit into neither category, he wasn't cagey with me. So, feeling a possible prank coming on, I made the 'nice and slow' approach, eventually managing to pick up the cat and pet him.

Much nicer then I anticipated – like Garfield if he wasn't such a douche.

Oh – now there's an idea for money. Better remember that for later…

In any case, one thing led to another, and I took the little guy home. The minute the others found out, they quickly made him a bed, a scratching post, and a homemade cat meal from some tuna Ao 'fished up' somewhere.

I had Tora for three glorious days: you have no idea how nice it was to sleep and play with the fluffy bastard.

Screw the rest of the ninjas, he was an awesome cat.

And then someone knocked at my door. Quickly dispelling the others, I opened to reveal Kakashi Hatake, not in his ANBU uniform. The face he showed then I answered holding a purring and content Tora was priceless. Long story short, the Daimyo's wife went crazy without her poor cat and forced the 'Tora Capture' mission to be raised all the way to an A-Rank, causing Kakashi to get involved since his Summons were up there with the Inuzuka's Ninken in tracking.

So, I was sadly forced to return Tora to Jiji. Seeing a chance, Jiji decided to 'order' Kakashi to take me to ramen as sort of a 'thank you' for taking care of Tora. And it sort of spiraled from there, causing us to become friends.

On the plus side, whenever Tora escaped from then on, he usually ran to my house if one of us was there to hide out until he eventually left. For fun though, neither Jiji nor Kakashi told anyone where Tora hides out before the Genin teams are send to track him down.

Guess they were pranksters deep down as well.

Back to the couple thing though…

My chance to pair the two finally came when I was seven and I – or rather Aka, damn is that confusing at times – managed to trick Anko into a bet. That's an omake for a later time, but my reward for winning was setting up Anko on a blind date.

Tricking Kakashi was much easier since all I had to do was ask Jiraiya for a signed copy of one of his books. And NO, no one knew about the fact that I was a fan of Icha Icha; I was saving that particular reveal for later.

In any case, both were scared shitless when they met for their blind date. I even forced them to dress up and everything – Kakashi still wore his mask though.

Its been about six months since then but based on my meetings with them, they were somehow going steady, despite Kakashi's CURRENT work in the ANBU and Anko's work in T&I.

Maybe the two had more in common then I thought.

That or the sex was that good. Nothing wrong with that though, since both were consenting adults, what with Kakashi's 22 to Anko's 20.

Probably the latter notion, but I wasn't too sure since I haven't seen Anko limping yet after some good loving… unless there was a jutsu to heal that.

Note to self: look up the logistics and differences in regards to civilians and ninjas having sex.

'For Science,' as Ao would say.

That bastard was scarier than any of us initially anticipated.

Calm and serene like water my ass.

Who else…

I guess Jiji has gotten a better handle on running the village now. I've heard he was half-way through of 'defanging' the Civilian Council excess powers. Oh, they were resisting and fighting back, but it was a losing battle, especially with Tsunade leading the Ninja Council in assisting the Hokage in reforms and annulling laws that somehow got snuck through.

Speaking of backroom deals…

I have been keeping a VERY close eye on Danzō, or rather, Ao has been during his 'investigations.' Not his activities, since I wasn't stupid enough to think I could get around his ROOT agents. Still, we kept our collective ears to the ground and always asked if the 'scary man with one eye' was proposing anything interesting every time Kiiro talked with Jiji.

When he finally inquired, I just told him that I got a bad feeling from his advisor.

He didn't correct me. Guess Jiji was wise to Danzō's bullshit.

My opinions regarding Homura and Koharu were still in the air. Father's knowledge showed that the two had some… shortcomings… but whether or not they were working alongside Danzō willingly or not had to be looked into further.

That was one of Ao's many 'investigations' during his nights for a while now, but that's neither here nor there.

So that covers all the adults I consider friends (Teuchi and Ayame haven't changed in the years).

Now for the others.

I should premise this by saying that I took the initiative in the last three years and managed to weasel my way – or rather, we managed to weasel our way - into knowing the Rookie Twelve and others before their minds were tainted by those idiots in the Academy regarding Naruto.

The civilian kids were a lost cause from the first day since I saw the looks their parents gave me when I entered the Academy, despite Tsunade and Jiraiya at my side with the twins in a carriage.

Yeah, unlike the civilians who had adults whisper in their ears about the 'demon child,' clan kids only started to hate on the original Naruto in the Academy due to the sabotaging of his education.

Tenten and Lee were already covered.

Lee did, in fact, manage to track down Gai and start his training early. I don't know how his training was progressing since we only occasionally crossed paths, what with his erratic training schedule and school, but Kasshoku keeps overhearing from Gai in the apothecary that Lee was an excellent student and would become a Taijutsu Master at a younger age then Gai ever did.

Good for Lee.

Should still look into the whole Sage thing though.

Wonder if Ao could jerry-rig a faux Toad Summoning Contract with Fūinjutsu?

Midori met up with Tenten frequently for training and idea exchanges until she started the Academy. They still talked whether he went to the store and met up during the weekends, so it was going well. A little too well if Kurama's jokes were any indication.

An issue for a later time…

OH! Midori also managed to introduce Tenten to Tsunade on one of her day's off. Tenten almost passed out, but she persevered and shook her idols hands. Midori managed to Puppy Eye no Jutsu his 'Obachan' into showing Tenten how to gather chakra into her limbs for superhuman feats of strength. Tenten caught the gist of it, but she admitted that she probably wouldn't be able to use it anytime soon. She still thanked the Sannin for sharing her signature technique with her.

Tsunade still smacked his head after Tenten left for calling her old, but she was happy that 'Naruto' was helping out a friend and keeping his promise.

Now for the other students.

Shino Aburame was easy enough to get along with. All I had to do was run into him – as Kiiro – during his many expeditions into the training grounds in search of insects during one of my training sessions. From there it was just assisting him in search for bugs, which eventually led to a comradely, which ultimately led to me being invited to his clan home for dinner.

He was the fastest to do so willingly. Why? His logical thinking process as well as clan 'hive-mentality' upbringing. Basically, he argued that we would be ninjas during the same generations and attend the Academy at the same time, so us becoming friends wasn't illogical nor detrimental in any way.

His parents agreed when my name was dropped. Didn't take much to figure out why. During dinner, the looks and questions his parents were giving me were more than enough to confirm their suspicions as to who my – I mean, our – father was.

Minato was directly responsible for the Aburame Clan higher standing so it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility of them somehow trying to keep me safe or pay back the man.

In any case, Shino's parents encouraged our friendship, especially ones they allowed me to train with him – as long as I didn't inquire about clan secrets.

Beneficial in the long run for Shino, since in the two years I've known him, I've managed to beat into his head to get his Taijutsu up to spar in case the day ever came when his insects would be insufficient. I've offered to take him to Tenten shop to get him a weapon, but he said he would raise the issue with his parents.

Last time I checked, I think they got him wooden tonfas. For some reason, clouds kept going through my head whenever I saw them.

I also apparently raised a stink of some kind with the Clan heads when I asked Shino why they didn't breed specialized insects for say, colder climates, and such. When pushed, Shino really couldn't tell me since logically it would be beneficial.

Oh well, not like anything will actually come out of that.

Kiba Inuzuka was easy enough to befriend – once Aka smacked it into his head that he [Kiba] wasn't the Alpha. Akamaru wasn't born yet so let sleeping dogs lie as it were.

I should explain.

Due to the fiasco with Tora and such, Kiba's sister Hana came to our home a few days later asking how I managed to hide the cat's scent so well – Inuzukas pride as trackers was 'bruised' and what not. Ones it was shown that Fuinjutsu was responsible for filtering out the smell from home, Hana quickly inquired if the seals could be used to filter the air against ALL scents and if I could draw them.

Quickly realizing where this going, Ao shared this seal knowledge so that Kiiro could explain everything.

Next day, Tsume Inuzuka invited 'Naruto' – or rather, Aka with Ao's lend seal knowledge – to come to the Clan kennels and see if he could put some seals there to deal with the smells… for a fee of course.

Aka quickly agreed, which is how we met the knucklehead. After a hierarchy was rapidly established – to the laughing of both Hana and Tsume at the sight of a beaten Kiba – camaraderie followed soon after.

Hey, the Inuzuka members were VERY animal in their mentality, so ones they accepted anyone into the pack, it was a done deal.

Still, a rinse and repeat was done, a dinner invitation was made, and Tsume most likely smelled the Kushina part of my being.

Yes, apparently, Tsume and Kushina were very close friends. She didn't spill that I was her son – I think Jiji made an edict about that or something to the clan heads about Naruto's parents – but she still shared stories about their pranking adventures.

When Mikoto heard them later, he swore he would make Kushina's legacy live on and that he would even outshine her.

The rest of us have seen some of his plans – they have potential.

In any case, I couldn't really do anything regarding Kiba's training other than offer him some gravity and resistance seals. He agreed to them – with Tsume's permission – and has been steadily increasing them. I also managed to sneakily ask Tsume if there were any elemental Inuzuka clan techniques.

Hey, whether or not I manage to change anything, a war was still probably coming in the future. Improving the clans in any way possible was beneficial in the long run.

In any case, it gave the Inuzuka Matriarch ideas when I inquired if their Ninken partners had affinities as well.

The meeting with Hinata didn't go any different from canon. Kasshoku rescued her from the bullies during winter when we were five, but nothing came of that. The Hyūga Clan was just like before, with Hinata still being the shy and timid person like the original.

Which surprised us for so many reasons. For one thing, her mother was still alive, and she was never kidnapped, so she had familial support to keep her stable.

Secondly, she didn't have Neji breathing down her back spouting the fate bullshit since his father was still alive.

Speaking of Neji.

I haven't had a chance to get to know the new Neji yet, but Midori's talks with Tenten painted some outline of his character. To her, Neji was a very nice if not skilled classmate. He wasn't pompous, but he took pride in being called a once-in-a-generation genius among his clan and lived up to it. Hell, apparently, he was actually FRIENDS with Hinata despite the whole Head and Branch family crap.

Should really look into that at some point if Hiashi and Hizashi haven't started already. Ao says he has some theories as to how to improve the seal, but the legality of applying it was outside his expertise.

Fun fact I discovered: Neji has a younger brother – named Neiru - who was a year older then Hanabi. I laughed myself silly when I realized Neji can be translated as 'screw' and Neiru as 'nail.'

I nearly shit myself when I found out that Hizashi and Hiashi – twin heads of the Head and Branch Families – married a pair of twins. Now, I am no geneticist, but unless identical twins in this world didn't have identical DNA, for all intended purposes, Hinata, Hanabi, Neji, and Neiru could be considered brothers and sisters, at least genealogy-wise.

Wonder if an argument can be made regarding succession if they ever figure out how to get rid of the seals?

Choji Akimichi was a fun one. All it took was Midori meeting him at Yakiniku Q during one of their many eating contests and beat him at his own game. Friendship followed soon after their many meetings at Ichiraku's which led to 'Naruto' meeting Shikamaru and Ino. More on them in a moment.

Never got around to training with Choji in private since his parents preferred he trains with Ino and Shikamaru since they expected them to be a team in the future. Midori still managed to sneak in a question or two regarding applying their Yang expansion technique through tools and weapons. Turns out, they do, but only for staffs and rarely. They did admit that Yang could be applied to all weapons as long as they could conduct chakra via their metal, seals, or both. Staffs were just more accessible since they were technically made of something alive rather than inert.

Very Son Wukong of them.

Oh well, I've been subtlety sneaking some suggestion to Choji our chats during the first year. I FINALLY managed to peak Choji's curiosity in seeing if Akimichi techniques would allow him to compact himself instead of expanding.

Yes… Soon… Ant-Man will live on (Midori got us hooked on superheroes after pursuing Father's memories. I may or may not support the underdog.)

Shikamaru Nara was a lazy bastard. A smart bastard, but lazy as hell.

He and Kasshoku hit it off scarily well. Of course, only when they weren't in a group. Midori was present when Chouji was around, but not when only with Shikamaru. They usually spend their time together watching clouds or playing shogi.

And yes, the Nara bastard was leading in wins. Not that Kasshoku wasn't putting up a fight.

Due to his mother 'nagging him' to meet his friend, Shikamaru eventually invited Naruto to his home for dinner.

And sweet Kami was Shikaku a scary bastard.

Oh sure, Yoshino – his wife – was one scary woman when she wasn't pissed or had a frying pan in her hand, but her husband…

I don't care what anyone says, but that Jonin reminds me too much of the Sherlock Holmes character Father was a fan of. I mean, off the charts IQ, drugs [alcohol] to dull his senses, engages in many hobbies, the list goes on.

Kasshoku must have done something right during their first meeting since he didn't set off any alarms in the Jonin Commanders head. He definitely knew who Naruto's parents were before we even talked, but we all decided early on never to initiate that route of questions for safety sake – unless of course, someone else started the topic. The two did, however, get into an interesting philosophical discussion regarding life, creation, yin, yang, and the Will of Fire.

Don't know if Kasshoku's question regarding what affinity Kami would have been in the dawn of creation struck anything in Shikamaru or his dad, but hopefully, the seedling has been planted. If Father's information regarding Yin and Shadows were any indication, the Nara Clan had the potential to be very powerful but only if they managed to solve that particular riddle.

Thankfully, I – again, Kiira – noted that Shikamaru didn't nap as often as he was portrayed in the anime and manga during school. Must have been trying to figure it out.

Ino Yamanaka was a challenge. It may have been Kasshoku who has gotten to know Ino from his visits to the flower shop, but it seemed like Aka's bluntness was required to knock some sense into the girl. I mean seriously, she was seven years old and already met the love of her life in Sasuke? Took some extra time and a few shouting matches to convince her that dieting was not the way to go to catch his interest as a future kunoichi. Aka's solution? Introduce Ino to Anko to show her what a real kunoichi is supposed to act and look like.

Arguably, not our best decision. Anko took an interest in the little Yamanaka, and despite her father's begging, took Ino under her wing as it were. It was a gradual process, but Ino was slowly picking up on her habits and mannerisms – including her dango habit. Thankfully, she lost her fan girl mentality pretty quickly and wasn't all skin and bones.

Thank Kami. Maybe she will thank me later when she finally hits puberty properly. I mean seriously, dieting as a preteen can only lead to malnutrition and growth problems in the future, as both Aka and Anko argued to her.

It sunk… eventually… after we smacked it into her head a few times… literally.

Plus, nothing wrong with bigger knockers if the material was there to work with.

ALL HAIL ICHA ICHA!

Sakura Haruno… was a lost cause.

That may be blunt, but it had to be said.

I mean, we were all at a loss.

According to Father's knowledge, Kizashi and Mebuki Haruno were both ninjas. Hell, in the Genjutsu World, Kizashi was Hokage, and he died with his wife as heroes there.

And yet, somehow, Sakura seemed to get into her head that she had to diet and get Sasuke as her future husband.

I should have really asked Ao to look into this during the first year, but he had other stuff to do. I mean, Sakura supposedly matures in the future and becomes Tsunade's apprentice, but seeing as how she has been progressing in the Academy so far, we were getting worried.

I should probably explain. Due to the effect of telling Jiji about Shadow Clones, he managed to catch up on his paperwork and training. As such, he eventually started looking over his past proposal approvals, as mentioned earlier regarding annulments and such. One thing that caught his eye was that the standards for the Academy were lowered and/or altered.

Oh sure, the Civilian Council argued that they were currently at peace and such strict standards were unnecessary for their children. Unfortunately for them, the village leadership was a dictatorship and not a democracy, as they often forgot. The Academy was under direct control of the shinobis and as such, the standards for them to set.

As such, the old system quickly fell under before Naruto, and his friends started the Academy. As a refresher, in the regional timeline, this is the curriculum that was focused more on the technical and book-smarts, to the point were Sakura managed to graduate as 'Top Kunoichi' despite her crappy Taijutsu and frailty.

The new curriculum was somewhat more streamlined. The first year was, in fact, more focused on book topics, such as reading, arithmetics, writing, sciences, geography, and a splattering of ninja physical training and chakra control. As the years would progress though, more and more ninja material would be introduced – such as tactics, strategy, kunoichi and shinobi focused classes, and clan histories – as well as a more hands-on approach to physical conditioning, something Iruka had a talent in.

I should mention that teachers stick with one group of kids for all six years now, so they get to know them pretty well. Our class got Iruka. Still no sign of Mizuki yet.

As such, while Sakura aced her first year, it was pretty evident from the syllabus for the second year that unless her attitude changed, her title of 'Top Kunoichi' would soon be usurped. There were already whispers from some of the civilian kid's parents that it would be better to transfer their kids out to trade schools and the like.

Oh well, better for the clan kids then – smaller classes are always more conducive to better results and grades.

As such, we decided to give Sakura one more year before we would make our decision regarding her.

FYI, due to Kiiro being smarter then he appeared to the populace – since they usually ran into Midori due to his pranks – Naruto was declared 'Top Shinobi' for the first year.

As to how I managed such a feat? Well, the original Naruto did struggle due to his inability to sit still in class as well as the possible illiteracy, one also had to consider the other teachers holding him back. However, Kiiro raised this point to Jiji, arguing that since the civilians hated him, why couldn't the teachers as well? As such, Jiji changed the school regulations which caused each group of kids (since each year had a few) to stick with one teacher for all six years. Did it raise some issues? Yes, but that was usually corrected by calling in other instructors or ninjas to assist them on a topic that they - the class teacher - weren't familiar with.

For example, Iruka called in his wife Shizune to explain Iryo Jutsu, Tokubetsu Jonin Kurenai to explain Genjutsu, and even Anko to explain what the T&I Department did and why.

Apparently, having only class to focus on allowed Iruka to notice the fangirl problem. I guess without the constant switching of teachers for each topic, he managed to familiarize with us much faster and as such, noted the issue much earlier.

The Sasuke Fan Club was screwed.

In any case, since Iruka wasn't trying to screw with me, he never fixed any of the exams or test against me, meaning that Naruto was dealing on an even playing field.

Our friends – and yes, they were, in fact, our friends – cheered for Naruto's achievement, while the rest of the class were angry.

Why you may ask?

 _And then there was one…_

Sasuke Uchiha.

Look, I gave the Uchiha Clan a chance. Unfortunately, they were all like Sasuke after the Massacre – douches. They were only marginally better than the Hyuga, and that was only because they didn't brand their branch members. Otherwise, reverse color image.

Well, with some exceptions.

I should premise this by saying that our dislike of the Uchiha comes due to the Konoha Military Police Force. Since the Uchiha were still treated with skepticism after Kurama's attack on the village – since they were absent during the attack and the Sharingan's ability to control the Kyūbi - they needed an outlet for their rage.

Enter the 'Demon Kid,' a convenient outlet.

Or rather, all five of us. Seriously, either Fugaku barely checks his officer's reports – since they chase and/or try to attack more than one of us on the same day – or he is just too focused on the coup d'état that SHOULD occur in about two years TOPS.

We know from Father's knowledge that the time marker was Itachi becoming an ANBU Leader, or a Buntaichō. Turns out, ANBU Commanders and Leaders were two different things: Commanders only applied to squads, but Leaders were for ANBU Divisions.

This, unfortunately, made me start wondering what department did Itachi become the head of at a little over 14.

This also brings back the exceptions I mentioned.

When I said that there were exceptions in the Uchiha, I was referring to a decent chunk of the branch members and an even smaller minority of the main family. Many Uchiha believed that the village was ostracising them more and more. This was mainly due to the combined efforts of Madara's rant against Hashirama becoming Hokage, Tobirama not trusting them and giving them the Police Force, and mistrust after the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox's Attack.

Oa wants to throw in the fact that Madara – via Obito – and Danzo – and in turn Orochimaru - were instigating these feeling oh hostility by steadily 'stroking the embers' as they were. I mean, we get it, it's not like their agendas aren't clear to us. Orochimaru wants the Sharingan, so he needs corpses to steal without anyone noticing. Danzo wants to kidnap some Uchiha kids for his ROOT program. And Obito? I just think he wants to widdle down the clan to find Indra's reincarnation for some reason. Why though is beyond us since if he bothered to correlate the times, it would be easy to figure out that it was Sasuke.

Damn that Black Zetsu bastard and the Curse of Hatred.

Where was I?

The exceptions…

It seems like it is the primarily the Elders of the Main Family who want to proceed with the coup d'état. This is sadly only based on character observations and the like since NONE of us were stupid enough to infiltrate one of their 'secret' meetings. Why? Two reasons. Either Obito would be there manipulating them hidden by a genjutsu or the like, or a Zetsu would be there in his place and notice Oa even in his Perfect Henge.

We don't know if Zetsu could notice us, but it is not a risk worth taking. The only reasons Oa managed to gather as much intel as he did is because no one was paying attention to Naruto, the clanless orphan child who had the protection of the three most powerful people in the Village.

Wow, when you say it like that, it makes me wonder how no other village has made a move on me yet.

Anyway, while a large chunk of the branch members would support the coup – either due to similar beliefs or due to their superiors commands – the rest don't care. Those Uchiha are just people who want to live their lives: they don't care about village's insecurity with them because guess what? THEY WANT TO LIVE! They know that if they raise a stink, then their lives would get more difficult, so to quote the Nara's, it's too troublesome for them to care.

The way I figure, they just think this would all blow over eventually when the Main Family get their collective heads out of their asses.

Mikoto's words, not mine.

Oh right, Mikoto Uchiha, the 'leader' of the so-called minority. Not officially anyway; more like, she tries to constantly change her husbands – Fugaku's – mind about the coup… PROBABLY.

Again, too big of a risk.

In any case, Ao believes that the only reason the coup hasn't actually happened yet is that Mikoto has managed to hold back the flood as it were, with the assistance of Itachi and Shisiu with misinformation to Fugaku's faction.

Or as I know them, Weasel [Itachi] and Crow [Karasu]. They watched me from time to time when they were lower-ranking ANBU members. As to how I know they were in Mikoto's corner?

Because I've met the two out of uniform and it amazes me to see the difference between them and the rest of the Clan.

Both were very humble, with Itachi leaning towards observation and silence and Shisui as more down-to-earth, and neither was afraid to admit their mistakes – Itachi less so due to pressures – and learn from others. And despite all the shit they have seen and done as ANBU, they still had compassion and sympathy. Hell, despite the animosity between the civilians and the Uchiha, those two were actually LIKED.

When I met them the first time when they came to pick up Sasuke one day from the Academy, it was like seeing night and day between the siblings. Sasuke, the younger brother, seeking to be as good as or better than his brother, in any way possible not for the betterment of himself, but to recognized by others. Itachi, strained by the conflicting pressures of responsibility to the Village and the Clan who only wants to be left alone and live his life in peace despite his genius.

I honest to Kami felt PITY for Itachi's plight. So much so that despite the protest of Ao, I befriended the two during my first year and decided to throw a wrench into the Uchiha mindset and HOPEFULLY avert the rebellion.

And, like times in the past, it only took asking Itachi and Shisui one question, conveniently, within the earshot of Ino (we were in school eating lunch since that's when the two usually visit Sasuke) at the end of the 1st year.

The question?

Since the Sharingan grants photography memory whenever it's activated – to memorize all the jutsu it sees – does it not also mean that it also forces all Sharingan users to remember moments of death and murder with perfect clarity constantly, since the Sharingan is only used during combat and mission?

Itachi and Shisui actually froze when I asked this question – Sasuke wasn't there since I waited for him to leave first – since NO UCHIHA has actually ever wondered about this.

I may or may not have asked this question on purpose since the Uchiha who favored the coup were those who had used the Sharingan the most. Ergo, anyone who didn't see the Sharingan as a tool but rather a birthright of their 'superiority' and over-relied on it basically crippeled themselves mentally.

Which is exactly why Kurama kept pushing for this little tidbit of information to somehow reach the ears of someone in charge so something could be done about it WITHOUT it being traced back to Naruto.

And wouldn't you know, Ino's dad Inoichi, while the head of the Analyses Team for the village's Intelligence Division, is also a registered Psychologist/Therapist, who happens to a best friend of one Shikaku Nara, Jonin Commander and Right Hand of the Hokage.

Combine this with Ino most likely asking her father about this, someone higher in the chain of command will look into this.

Itachi and Shisui? Well its been a few months now since I dropped that bombshell, but none of us have noticed anything different in them or the Uchiha Clan as a whole.

Also, I just realized I never actually finished talking about Sasuke.

Basically, he is a tool.

Not a douche, but very close to the edge of teetering – going emo must have been the final push he needed. Although, who could blame him? With his father and others comparing him to his better brother, as well as the rest of his clan continually enforcing the mentality that the Uchiha were superior to their Kekkei Genkai, does not make a decent combination.

Combine that with the fact that a clanless orphan beat him for the top spot AND being close to his brother, something was bound to give.

Which it did.

* * *

 _Monday, the second week of classes, during lunch_

(Sasuke) "Fight me, dobe."

Kiiro was currently enjoying a homemade bento – prepped by Kasshoku – with his friends – basically everyone sans Lee, Tenten, Sakura, Sasuke, and the civilian kids – when out of nowhere, Sasuke decided to challenge Naruto.

I should premise this by saying that unlike the original Naruto who fawned over Sakura, constantly challenged Sasuke, and screamed that he would be Hokage one day, I, on the other hand, preferred to be quiet and focus on my studies, despite already knowing some of the material.

I should also add that we have yet to actually 'fight' in the Academy. Train Katas and have training spars? Sure. Actual fights for class rankings and for showboating? Iruka said that we would get to that later in the year when he was more confident in our conditioning and wouldn't hurt ourselves.

Apperantly, the prideful Sasuke didn't care.

(Kiiro) "Okay… How exactly am I a dobe, seeing as how I was the top shinobi last year?"

(Sasuke) "You only got the position because they tested material not necessary for being a ninja. Had they tested us on what really mattered, I would have easily bested you."

(Kiiro) [pushing away his meal] "How could the material we are currently studying be unimportant as it was approved by the Hokage himself? Are you saying that the Hokage doesn't have the villages nor the students best interests at heart?"

(Sasuke) "How can learning math and science possibly apply to being a ninja?"

(Kiiro) "You mean other than allowing the civilian children to at least catch up to clan children on some level with physical conditioning and unlocking their chakra? Well, I don't know. How about I let others explain it to you, since you clearly wouldn't believe me otherwise. Shikamaru, would you like to start?"

(Shikamaru) "Troublesome. First of all, we need math in the long run since one way or another, it's a key part of how society functions and correlates to a lot of things we as adults will need. This includes accounting, keeping track of how much supplies we have, predicting shortages in crops and materials, as well as for code-breaking if some of us choose to go into Intelligence."

(Choji) "Chakra control is essential to learn for us ninja since it teaches us how to better control our chakra, in the long run, to not waste it when performing jutsu."

(Ino) "Unless you want to go the rest of your life without knowing how to read a map or the terrain, I guess you can just skip the geography class then. See how you like it when you can't find North while lost in enemy territory."

(Shino) "We need to know basic concepts of science. Why? So we may use this knowledge it against future enemies who rely on elemental ninjutsu without giving away our own. We are also taught proper methodologies for analyses as well as testing out hypothesis when trying to determine an enemies shortcomings and weaknesses."

(Hinata) "We have to study history as to not repeat the mistakes of our predecessors and actually learn from them instead."

[Hinata was shy and timid, but her stutter never formed since she had enough support].

(Kiba) "Writing and Calligraphy make sure our handwriting isn't sloppy or easy to misread to prevent your teammates from misreading information or mislabeling something."

Everyone looks at Kiba in shock.

(Kiba) "What? Do you know how often Inuzuka members have been stereotyped as having horrible penmanship? It's an actual required criteria for all our Elders and Clan Head to have perfect penmanship to just to make sure the stereotype doesn't stick."

Kiba did, in fact, have exquisite penmanship for an eight-year-old. I think the training they do for their hands in prep for their combination techniques with their Ninken trains specific muscles that give them an advantage when writing, but that's just a theory.

A few of the civilian kids managed to overhear this – as well as kids from minor ninja clans – and agreed with the assessment. For civilian kids, the first two years was them catching up with ninja clan kids regarding chakra usage and physicality. For Ninja kids, the first two years was about catching up on subjects they haven't been taught, as their teaching priorities were more about clan techniques as well as material relating to the said clan.

This, of course, flew over Sasuke's head. Why? Because the only thing that has been knocked into his head was merely being better than his brother and he was too prideful to ask for help from his clanmates to avoid looking weak.

Again, bad combination. Add in the fact that Fugaku's training methodology consisted of making Sasuke learn stronger and more complex jutsu was not making it better. I mean seriously, the fact that Sasuke managed to learn Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu [Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique] despite having only primary knowledge for chakra control and no understanding of nature transformation was downright impossible, since Itachi himself confirmed that he at least practiced his chakra control before attempting it.

(Sasuke) "Tch. You are also just weak clan members who need the extra time to catch up to someone like me. And even then, you will still lose to an Uchiha."

(Sakura) "YEAH! Someone like Sasuke-kun can never lose to a bunch of weaklings like you."

(Ino) "Shut it Forehead, or I swear I'll shove a senbon into you where it won't shine."

[Ino wasn't a fangirl of Sasuke nor Sakura's friend, and Anko's personality was slowly starting to slip through more and more. Anko never felt more proud than having a little sister to call her own.]

Kiiro stood up from the table where he was eating.

(Kiiro) "You want to put your ryō where your mouth is, Sasuke- _teme_?"

(Sasuke) "What do you have in mind, Naruto- _dobe_?"

(Kiiro) "A simple wager, one that you will win since you consider yourself an _Uchiha_."

(Sasuke) "Name your stakes – like it matters."

(Kiiro) "We fight when the Academy ends in front of adult witnesses so as that the validity of the fight is not called into question nor favoritism from the Sasuke Fan Club."

(Said Fan Club members) "HEY!"

(Kiiro) "The fight will be judged and refereed by a neutral third party. An Aburame is preferred, but I think Shikaku is coming to pick you up today, right?"

(Shikamaru) "He is."

(Kiiro) "Then a Nara will do just fine. The fight will include everything we have learned since we have started attending the Academy. This is not limited in any way, so even ninjutsu is allowed, although we will most likely use Taijutsu. There will be no time limit, no ring outs – despite starting in the ring – and we fight till someone surrenders or is knocked unconscious. No killing and breaking of limbs are accepted."

[Sasuke Smirked] "You'll need all the help you need, but I accept those terms. The wager?"

Kiiro rubbed his chin in thought, but those more familiar with him quickly noted that he had a look he only took when he was thinking of how to prank someone.

(Kiiro) "How about this… If I win, you have to PURPOSEFULLY fail your next five tests. And I don't mean quizzes or answering questions in class incorrectly. You will, during the next five exams, be it physical or mental, willingly fail or be at the very bottom of the class ranking. This includes written exams, obstacles course, marksmanship, katas – as long as they are a major exam for our ranks, you will fail them."

Everyone around them winced. While they have only started their second year, the position for Rookie of the Year was averaged from all the six years. As such, getting bad marks in the earlier years is significantly detrimental in the long run. However, since they were only grades and not the actual skills being hindered, no issue will be raised other than five red marks on Sasuke's grades for the second year.

(Sasuke) "And if I win?"

(Kiiro) "I'll take whatever you think of."

(Sasuke) "Then if I win, you must drop out of the Academy."

(Kiiro) "Nope – that wager is not of equal or lesser value then what I wager. As such, pick another."

(Sasuke) "What, afraid you will lose?"

(Kiiro) "No, just know a bad deal when I see one. Either make a fair wager, or we won't fight."

(Sasuke) "Fine. If I win, you have to publically declare in front of everyone that I, as an Uchiha, am and always will be, a better ninja then you."

Kiiro smiled, "Those terms are acceptable."

Kiiro quickly made the Keiyaku no In [Seal of Agreement] in place of an actual written contract, but Sasuke matched it anyway.

(Sasuke) "I'll be waiting for you dobe. In three hours, you lose in fornt of everyone and my superiority as a ninja will eb confirmed."

Kiira waited for Sasuke to leave – with Sakura and his fangirls following him in drove – before openly chuckling.

(Shikamaru) "Why do I feel like you just got something over him?"

(Kiira) "Because either he misunderstood what I said about what we learned since we startedthe Academy or he thinks I was an idiot who didn't practice anything before coming to the Academy."

Everyone's light bulbs went off.

(Kiba) "Oh, that poor bastartd is so screwed… I GOT TO GET A MESSAGE TO MY SISTER! She has to see this."

(Shino) "Already done. Why? Because I send my bugs to message my father, who will then message the rest of our parents."

(Hinata) "What about others?"

(Ino) "Don't worry. I have a feeling the rest of the village will find out soon enough.

* * *

 _Kakashi's apartment, during a heavy make-out session…_

Anko raised her quickly in the air (think meercat).

"I sense a disturbance in the air – someone is about to be royally screwed."

"So what… you're just going to leave little ol' me hanging here?"

"No Kakashi. First, we will finish this session. Then, I'll let the winds take me as it were."

"Sounds like your going to be lost on the path of life."

"Don't start Kakashi or I will destroy your Icha Icha collection, especially that signed one by Jiraiya."

"NO! No, let's not go so far."

"The call me Mistress and beg for it."

* * *

Ino shuddered. Something very wrong just happened that must never be inquired about.

* * *

 _Three hours later…_

Apparently, either Shino's dad was very talkative for an Aburame or Anko somehow caught wind of this fight.

In any case, all the clan heads were there, as well as a good chunk of the civilians who wanted to see the 'Demon Child' be put in his place. Even Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Jiji were watching from the roof of the Academy.

From the rumors of the betting going around, Tsunade was about to make a killing with the odds in Sasuke's favor.

Unfortunately, since they were surrounded by ninja from all sides, they couldn't really call him that at the moment, so they settled for 'boy.'

Sasuke and Naruto (Kiiro) were facing a few feet apart from each other while Shikaku was telling the audience about the fight parameters and the bets that were made.

Suffice to say, Fugaku was not happy about what Sasuke offered if he was to lose. The Uchiha Clan was on the line, and him losing to an orphan kid was not in the cards.

Mikoto, Itachi, and Shisui didn't care one way or the other. Honestly, they wanted Sasuke to lose, hoping he would at least learn some form of humility from it.

Yeah right.

(Shikaku) "So, are the contestants aware of the rules and conditions set for this match?"

Sasuke and Kiiro nodded to each other. Iruka did try to stop the fight, but after seeing all the commotion, he was promptly overruled.

(Shikaku) "Then make the Tairitsu no In [Seal of Confrontation]."

Everyone watched in silence as we walked up to each other, made universal sign of engagement between shinobi, and walked away again.

Sasuke smirked as he entered the Uchiha Clan Intercepting Fist – ironically called Jeet Kune Do – stance.

Naruto simply adjusted his orange jacket-pants combo and fiddled with his cordless headphones, which no one really understood why his wearing them.

"Well, Dobe? Aren't you going to get into position?"

"...I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Watching from the sidelines, Kakashi got a tear in his eye as he bumped his fist slightly into the air.

"Or you so weak, that you don't even know what stance to get into?"

"Why would I bother getting into a stance? Going into a stance tells the enemy what fighting style you favor meaning they can start forming a counter strategy. We are future ninja Sasuke – we win in any way necessary. That means always having something over our enemy, give away as little as possible about our own strength, use everything available to us, and always put on a false front. You have failed as a ninja for ignoring all four of these points."

"What are you talking about, dobe?!" seethed Sasuke.

At this point, Shikaku had already declared the match started, but due to Sasuke's comments, the fight was yet to begin.

Naruto sighed, "So troublesome. Let me spell it out for you teme. First, you initiated this match under the pretense you knew everything about me – you don't. Second, you let me set up the terms of the fight – always a foolish decision. Third, even knowing said parameters of the fight, you didn't bother taking advantage of the vagueness of the parameters, hence why you didn't even bother bringing anything with you, like kunai or shuriken."

"Neither did you," Sasuke shouted in an attempt to reassert dominance.

"because I don't need them. Fourth, you boast so much about yourself that I know everything about you already, like the fact you don't have the Sharingan yet. Fifth, you're listening to me chatter on and on, allowing yourself to lose yourself to your emotions, meaning your going to make mistakes."

Sasuke rage almost boiled over until he heard the last point, quickly recovering his cool, "And you are still a dobe for telling me that."

"I only told you because I won't lose, especially since you're fighting under a false assumption even after Shikaku finished explaining it again."

"What are you talking about?"

Naruto put the headphones over his ear, shocking everyone as he channeled electricity through his fingers into them, turning them on.

"I said that we would use anything we have learned since we started attending the Academy. I never said anything about the material we learned _outside_ the Academy since we started attending.

Panick quickly formed on Sasuke's face as he watched Naruto start forming hand signs. Sasuke tried to rush Naruto with his fist, but he was too late.

"Lightning Release: Raijin of Lightning." [Raiton: Inazuma no Raijin]

Everyone watched in shock as a translucent yellow field expanded from Naruto, covering the area a little outside of the arena in a spherical like a dome.

They also watched as Naruto seemed to instantly teleport behind Sasuke without any effort right before his fist would have made contact.

Sasuke quickly turned in shock to look at a nonchalant Naruto, listening to music with his headphones, eyes closed.

Had he been paying attention to his surroundings like the others and try to figure out the technique, he would have noticed slow arcs of lightning pulse from wall to wall. He would have also seen odd translucent outlines run around from the corner of his eyes, some standing still, some constantly in motion.

All in the shape of Naruto surrounding Sasuke.

Rage consuming Sasuke, he charged ones more at a humming, hoping to take advantage. Unfortunately, no matter what he did, Naruto seemed to be able to dodge it all.

He tried punching him in the face, he would lean back or tuck under.

He tried going for kicks, he either avoided the high ones or hopped over the low ones.

He even tried doing some grapple holds and even throwing what shuriken he had. Naruto always managed to get out of his reach or doge without even bothering to open his eyes.

AS Sasuke continued to chase Naruto around the field, failing to note that Naruto was actually DANCING the entire time, three different sets of reactions were currently occurring.

Everyone who hated the boy seemed to stare in shock and disbelieve, their hatred overriding their logic, making them believe that Naruto was cheating somehow.

Naruto's friends watched in awe and fascination as Naruto was not breaking a sweat at all – compared to Sasuke's raged appearance – as the fight progressed. Some were already aware of how good Naruto really was, like Kiba and Shino who have trained with him the most. Others were left speechless at his finesse and the odd jutsu he was using, one that didn't seem to dissipate yet, but somehow allowed him to get behind Sasuke at the beginning of the fight.

Then there was the third group consisting of the ninjas who were both experienced enough to understand that Naruto had yet to truly use his jutsu and that something was wrong with Naruto himself.

The latter point was particularly dangerous for one simple reason that Kiiro had overlooked.

Outside the Academy and his meetings with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Jiji, almost everyone else close to him knew 'Naruto' as a different personality altogether.

Some who met Kiiro in the Academy who knew him as someone else – like Tenten and Lee – passed it off as him being serious.

Shikamaru and Shikaku assumed Kiiro was just Kasshoku letting loose a little.

Choji thought Kiiro was just Midori not goofing off.

Ino had a similar train of thought regarding Aka.

Kiba was already suspicious on some level since Aka and Kiiro didn't smell the same, but he was the only one who noticed this due to his prolonged contact with both. He didn't question it since 'Naruto' still acted as his friend in both personas and Kiba just assumed that he was adjusting his personality to each situation.

Neji was yet to meet Naruto, and Sasuke and Sakura another bothered with him.

Hinata and Shino always knew Naruto as Kiiro, but both as well had their suspicions about him due to their Kekkei Genkais noting something odd about him. Hinata's Byakugan let her see off fluctuations and actual shifts in his chakra network from time to time, while Shino's kikaichū kept telling their 'nest' that something was different about Naruto's chakra.

[While the Aburame Clan Kikaichū no Jutsu [Parasitic Destruction Insect Technique] was technically considered a hidden jutsu that anyone could technically learn, the time necessary to do so plus the body adaptation that Aburame Clan members had developed over the generations to said technique had slowly begun to shift toward the Kekkei Genkai territory, something else started by the Fourth.]

The same could not be said for the adults, as they would all get to know 'Naruto' strictly in one persona, SOMEHOW never running into his other personas in the last three years.

Luck of the Devil indeed.

Unfortunately, luck runs out even for Naruto, and as such, a lot of people started to get suspicious at the boy's odd change in personality, something that would be brought up as soon as the fight was finished.

Not that Kiiro was aware of this.

At the moment, he was currently listening to a song called 'MIC Drop' that he managed to recreate from Father's memories.

Took him a long time to make a turntable and DJ system needed for it – since electronic music was yet to become a thing in the Elemental Nations – but it was worth it.

The song finally ended, causing Kiiro to jump a little further away from the staggering and sweaty Sasuke, to take his headphones off.

Quickly opening his eyes and noting the cracks in the field tiles around him, as well as the shock of his spectators, Kiiro confusingly checked his watch.

"Sweet Kami! Its been four minutes Sasuke, how the hell have you not hit me yet?"

Que the anime sweat drop from all the ninjas around him and the jaw drop of every civilian in turn.

Sasuke was flabbergasted, "Wha… were you even fighting me this whole time?"

"Apparently not, seeing as how I was acting on instinct the entire team," Naruto said in awe as he observed his jutsu in turn, "Guess this thing works better then I thought."

Falsely believing that it was ninjutsu that was giving Naruto the advantage, Sasuke began making signs for his family signature jutsu.

Had he bothered paying attention though, he would have noticed that he was aiming the jutsu directly at the civilian section of the audience.

Something that Naruto noticed.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no…" shouted Sasuke.

Unfortunately, before he could get any further, Naruto flashed in front of him, pushed his Tiger Sealed hands down with one hand, and slammed his mouth shut with his other hand before Sasuke managed to exhale.

This, in turn, presented a logistical issue that Sasuke was unaware of since his knowledge of the technique was self-taught.

A logistical issue that most Uchiha were taught against as no one knew what would happen in such a scenario nor did they want to find out.

Sasuke was not aware of this, his pride before the fall.

As such, the logistical issue was quickly corrected in the most painful way imaginable.

The Intelligence Officers in the audience would record this outcome for their Jutsu Analyses Department afterward to inquire if similar results would occur for any jutsu coming out of the mouth being blocked in such a manner.

No one attempted the physical portion of the tests after what they saw happen to Sasuke.

Requiring an orifice that was no longer accessible, the chakra infused fire coming up Sasuke's throat had only one option – search for other openings.

As such, to Sasuke's – and his fangirls and family's – shock, fire shot out of his nostrils, ears, and most painfully of all, the backside of his shorts.

Kiira – so surprised by this – stared bug-eyed at a flailing and shouting Sasuke, as smoked emerged from his throat.

All the civilians and ninjas watching had similar reactions, two-thirds of the Sannin and Hokage included.

Anko, Kiba, Tsume, and Ino were rolling on the ground laughing their asses off.

Kiiro turned to a shocked Shikaku, "Umm… Does this mean I win? I mean, I had a whole speech planned out about how the teme should have paid attention to where he was aiming and all but…I think he needs a medic."

Shikaku quickly regained his composure before coughing into his fist, "Yes, right. Sasuke Uchiha has been incapacitated, and as such, Naruto Uzumaki is declared the winner. Will someone please get a medic or take the kid to one? It's getting nauseating listening to him scream."

"I got," said Tsunade as she shunshined to the field from the Academy roof, making her hands glow green as she began scanning Sasuke. "While this is definitely a win for the books, the outcome of the jutsu fall back is something."

"How bad is it Obachan? I only did it because he would have hit the civilians otherwise," said Kiiro as he dispelled the dome around them. The other ninjas noted that Tsunade had no difficulty entering the dome itself, meaning that it wasn't made for containment, another fact added to their analyses of the jutsu.

"Well, his ears are less damaged than expected, mostly burns from the smoke. His nose like is esophagus is singed and scared, which will take time to heal," Tsunade quickly checked Sasuke bleeding backside, "the rectum will take slightly longer, and he will most likely require an inflatable donut for the foreseeable future."

Kiiro swallowed nervously, "I am not going to be given smack by the Uchiha Clan, am I?" as he glanced at a fuming Fugaku. He also surprisingly noted a chortling Itachi and Shisui, with Mikoto having a fan strategically cover her mouth from others.

Tsunade smirked, "Nah. This was a sanctioned match. They can make a complaint but Sasuke is alive and will recover with time, but worse they can do is hold a grudge."

Kiiro sighed in relief, "Oh thank Kami. In that case." He turned facing his friends, "EVERYONE! Victory meal at Yakiniku Q! I am paying!"

Everyone cheered – Choji more than others – as Naruto joined them and started walking away from the Academy. He paused midstep, "Oh, and please remind the teme that since he lost, he must complete the wager."

"Don't worry, gaki," replied Shikaku, "he will be reminded. Go and enjoy yourself for a _victory_ well earned."

Kiiro smiled and left with his friends laughing.

…..

 _Academy Roof_

"Jiraiya?"

"Yes, Hiruzen?"

"Please pass along this message to the Clan Heads, as well as Gai, Kakashi, Anko, and Iruka to meet me for an emergency session in one hour."

"Should I invite Fugaku?"

"Not. He is currently on break from his duties for the Police Force. Legally, he can't attend the meeting while performing his duty, so pass the message along to Mikoto."

"Who should I call for ANBU guards?"

"I think you know who I want to call."

"Okay… what shall I tell them the meeting is about?"

"Based on their reactions? The odd behavior of Naruto Uzumaki."

Jiraiya nodded as he shunshined away.

Hiruzen watched in all seriousness as he grandson in all but blood walked away, happy and excited with his friends.

And yet, Hiruzen could not get the image of the yellow flash out of his mind.

"Like father, like son indeed, Minato."

* * *

 _One hour later…_

Kiiro was currently standing on a podium facing all the major clan heads, as well as Jiraiya and Tsunade at Jiji's side, with what felt like 4 ANBU in each corner of the room.

Outwardly, Kiiro was calm as a cucumber – which they had in this world – and presented an air of nonchalance, hands in the pockets and all that.

Inwardly, Kiiro was losing his freaking mind, cursing the fact that neither he nor Kurama could contact his other persona shadow-clone using 'brothers.'

On the bright side though, he didn't see Danzo in the room nor did he Homura or Koharu. So good news on that front.

He prayed to Kami never went wrong.

"So…" started 'Naruto,' "have I done something wrong Hokage?"

Hiruzen couldn't help but raise a brow: the only time Naruto ever referred to him other then Jiji was when he wanted something, or he went too far with one of his pranks and knew he was in potential trouble.

"On the contrary, this is more of an… informal meeting if anything so you can relax Naruto," smirked Hiruzen.

The clan heads watched as Naruto relaxed and sagged his shoulders, tension leaving his body as he breathed a sigh of relief. "Look, if this is about me harming Sasuke…"

"Do not worry yourself, Naruto," interrupted Mikoto, "if anything, this defeat will finally _enlighten_ Sasuke."

'Naruto' stared at Mikoto for five seconds before looking at the leftmost corner, "Any chance of that happening, Itachi?"

Said Uchiha emerged from the corner to reply, "Unlikely, but one can hope," before hiding once more.

Hiruzen sweat dropped before he coughed, "Anyway… we were more interested in the jutsu you performed in your fight against Sasuke. It seemed early reminiscent of teleportation."

Now the clan heads were at full attention, Shikaku included. He was one of the few who discovered Naruto's heritage, so he was curious as to why Naruto decided to make such a technique.

"Oh – is that what it looks like from the outside? Neat," replied "Naruto' honestly. "I never had anyone tell me what it looked like. Guess its something to add to the notes."

"So what is it supposed to do then if it is not teleportation?" inquired Hiashi. "My Byakugan made it seem like you were everywhere where you were and not at the same time. It was very… disorienting."

"And while I can't speak for all Uchiha, when I used my Sharingan, I couldn't copy it nor understand it. I remember the hand seals you used, but every kunoichi instinct in me is telling me not to perform it, why is that?" asked Mikoto family.

"Good instinct, because frankly, unless you are a Lightning Primary, the technique will knock you out or cause severe chakra exhaustion unless you know the trick to it," answered 'Naruto.'

Worry crossed Hiruzen's face, "Naruto, that sounds suspiciously like a Kinjutsu."

"Naruto' wavered his hand back and forth, "More like a B-Rank Jutsu with a build in lock-key mechanism is a better description."

"Run that by me again?" blurted Jiraiya, speaking what was on everyone's mind.

"Certainly. The Lightning Release: Raijin of Lightning is the first of a trio of techniques I have been working on. The first, as you saw, was the Raiton: Inazuma no Raijin. The second, which is an A-Rank, is called Lightning Release: Raijin of Thunder [Raiton: Kaminari no Raijin]. The third technique, which _would_ be an S-Rank since its still in the development and research stage, is called Lightning Release: Raijin of Storm [Raiton: Arashi no Raijin]."

"Okay, with you so far…"

"While Storm is still under construction and Thunder is still being fine-tuned, Lightning works just like Hiashi described: being everywhere and nowhere at the same time. What I am primarily doing is converting my chakra to lightning through nature transformation, while also letting it naturally 'reach out' or expand from me. It doesn't move after being set in place, but as long as I don't leave the sphere itself, I am for all intended purposes, still connected to the chakra in the air. And due to the unique nature of Lightning and its connection to me via my nervous system, for all intended purposes, I have omnipresence within the sphere."

Everyone's jaw dropped. Jiraiya was first to recover. "And it's only B-Rank? Also, what about the teleportation?"

"The teleportation is more due to the enhanced reflexes brought upon by the Lightning Nature's unique properties combined with what I believe to be a bastardization of the Body Flicker Technique. Also, the technique is still being perfected, and it's not without its faults. Skipping all the technicalities and science aside, the technique requires both someone who is a Lightning Primary – or well trained in Lightning - and has chakra to spare. Secondly, there is no shape manipulation involved in this technique, meaning one has to learn to spread the lightning-laced chakra through practice. Third, it's more suited for fighting someone one-on-one since multiple people can intercept me within the sphere. Fourth and most importantly, I am connected to the chakra, meaning I sense everything within the sphere, including other jutsu. So while Genjutsu is useless, Ninjutsu presents an interesting challenge since I would feel the jutsu with my whole being if it was performed within the sphere. Outside of it, I may have a chance to get out or prepare myself, but inside of it? Well just imagine the Great Fireball jutsu but spreading in you inside-out."

Everyone in the roof shivered at the prospect. Shibi Aburame was first to ask, "Your explanation makes me assume that the next two techniques use shape manipulation along with nature manipulation. Why? It's the only reason why their difficulty and potential would increase by a whole rank."

"That is correct, but I am not confident enough to further explain those two techniques for now. Can I technically classify them as hidden techniques for now?"

Tsunade was the only one who spotted Naruto's tell. As someone who was ones a degenerate gambler – and still technically is but to a significantly lesser extent – she had honed her skill in finding people's tells to an extreme. While many worked on the assumption that she was just a lousy poker player, it was just the Senju Luck Curse that prevented her from winning. There were rare exceptions – like when she made a killing with Naruto's win – but they were rare and far in between. As such, over the years, she learned Naruto's one tell when he was lying or hiding something from someone: the right side of his mouth would twitch upwards. It only showed up when Naruto knew he was consciously lying – as evident by his perfect poker face when he was playing cards for fun – and very hard to spot. The fact it only came up when Naruto mentioned 'hidden' made Tsunade improvise something that Hiruzen should have told the boy already.

"Don't you mean Clan Technique rather than Hidden Technique?"

Silence. Everyone stared at Tsunade like she had grown a second head.

'Naruto's' reaction confirmed it. Rather then curiosity or shock of being told he had a clan, he stared at her, flinching controlled, pupils undialeted, and sweat on his forehead from panic.

The sure signs of someone trying to keep their cool.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Tsunade-sama. I don't know any Uzumaki Clan in Konoha."

"Bullshit gaki," spurred Tsunade as she crossed her arms, "I've known you long enough to know your tells. Also, let's talk about the personality discrepancies we have been able to gather via cross-correlate, of the accounts regarding you the heads here have given while we waited for you to arrive. There's putting on a mask, and then there's becoming a whole different person. I have half a mind to ask Hiruzen here to either send you to T&I for interrogation or to Inoichi to see if you have DID, or Dissociative Identity Disorder. Now, which question do you want to answer first?"

Before 'Naruto' got a chance to rebuttal, the door to the room opened, with an ANBU coming in dragging in… another Naruto.

Before the clans got a chance to ask what was happening, two more ANBU shunshined in, both dragging… two more Narutos.

The sheer panic on all Naruto's faces when they saw each other was all they needed to know that they fucked up.

"Naruto… would you mind telling me what this is?" asked Hiruzen with an aura of… not anger, but enraged curiosity, if the term applied. Needles to say, the uninvited ANBU quickly left, thinking they screwed up somehow.

(All Naruto's) "Ummh… Shadow Clone Jutsu?"

"Then they would have dispelled when the ANBU manhandle you to bring you or when they Body Flickered here since clones can't maintain their form during their process."

(Naruto 1) "You're not even going to ask how we know the jutsu?"

Hiruzen shrugged, "Jiraiya probably showed you and it's not the more significant issue here. My hunch though is that these other Narutos can provide the explanation for your…" shock registered Hiruzen's face as the pieces fell into place, "…personalities."

Inoichi was the first to catch on and facepalmed himself to the rest of the ninja's shock, before glaring at the Naruto's, "How many?"

(Naruto 2) "How many what?"

"How many personalities are in you right now?" struggled Inoichi. The Shinobi and Kunoichi Guidelines were very clear in the regards of DID cases: unless proven that the personality are not a clear and present danger to others or the host, said individual could not be a ninja.

What one the Naruto's said next made this issue much more complicated.

(Naruto 3) "Does the Kyūbi count as one?"

If it wasn't evident from the shock of everyone in the room that Naruto was aware of his tenant, it was so on the other Narutos faces as well.

(Naruto 2) "What the hell are you doing?"

(Naruto 3) "No point in hiding it anymore – the jig is up."

(Naruto 1) "I got that but why did you…"

(Naruto 4) "Better we get everything in the open now with all the clan heads here without the civilians or Danzo getting more ammunition to use against us."

The clan heads watched with mild curiosity as four yellow haired kids argued in hush tones between each other for the next few seconds. It also alleviated some tensions as it was evident the personalities were aware of each other and had a working relationship, so at least THAT aspect was recoverable.

Finally, the four Narutos, with the one stepping forward, "Do you want all of us or just us four?"

"How many are there?" asked Hiruzen worringly.

"Well, counting Kurama, there seven, but Yang and Yin are developed yet – not enough element to work with – so just one more to summon?"

"Pardon," inquired Chōza Akimichi, "but who is Kurama?"

(ALL) "He's the Kyūbi no Yōko."

"YOU"RE IN CONTACT WITH THE FOX?" shouted Jiraiya in panic, with fear evident in everyone else's face.

(Naruto 1) "Well, yeah. Mom used to try to talk with him but never could. We've been talking to him since we were a little over three."

(Naruto 3) "Should we bring him out?"

(Naruto 2) "let's undo the henge first – orange is not our color."

(ALL) "Agreed."

Everyone watched as four Naruto's quickly began to morph before their eyes.

One quickly developed long red hair tied in a ponytail, with bright purple eyes. He looked lithe like a swimmer, and they only reason they noticed because his now red jacket was open, revealing said build through his black shirt and mesh bodysuit. Hands were in the pocket and looking smug, he looked like what Kushina could have been as a male.

Another shot up in height – by a few inches only – and had his hair turn green. Combine that with his yellow eyes and long limbs, he could have passed off as panther if he ever decided to go hunting in the Forest of Death, what with his green ensemble. That was unfortunately deterred by his infectious smile, one who knew Kushina was very familiar with.

Th third could pass off as a Hyuga what with his hairstyle if it wasn't for his tanned skin and brown eyes. A little stockier looking than the others, he radiated an aura of calmness of serenity. Maybe its because he wasn't wearing any colors – other than his brown clothes – but he seemed like the one least likely to lose his cool.

The fourth didn't change much, only for his clothes to shift to yellow and his hair to grow out a little. However, when they saw his face, all clan heads outside the loop quickly realize why Naruto always reminded them of someone they knew. All they had to do was look at the Hokage Rock to understand why.

Before they had a chance to recover, the yellow one performed the cross-sign and poofed two more Narutos into existence.

One wore a blue ensemble of various hues – clearly the fashion conscious one among them – and had long silky blue hair that combed slightly over his left eye. He also wore thin wire frame glasses that displayed the greenest of eyes. Tsume swore that he smelled like the sea.

Then they noticed the other one.

Black is the best turn to describe this Naruto. Black clothes, black shoes, long black hair that was untamed and seemed to form into what appeared to be nine long strands bunched together. His eyes had black sclera and were bloody red. Despite his hunched over appearance, he still looked like the most intimidating of the five.

That Naruto quickly took note of where they were before signing and looking at the Naruto's. " **So who won the pool as to when we would be discovered?"**

All the Naruto's pointed to the green one, "Who do you think?"

"Yata! I win the pot! I can finally buy the nodachi I've had my eye on, Dattebayo!"

Que anime sweat drop from all adults present thinking the same thing: _He's Kushina's son alright._

The black Naruto stepped forward taking the place of the yellow Naruto, " **Guess I'll explain everything. So, hello, I am Kurama, the Kyūbi no Yōko, last son Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, largest carrier of the Jūbi chakra, and roommate of one Naruto Uzumaki. Questions?"**

All hands raised.

" **That doesn't involve asking about the Jubi nor about Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki at the moment?"**

Half the hands went down.

" **Alright let's start with the one less likely to kill me. Sarutobi?"**

Hiruzen, like many others, were terrified internally by the fact that Kyūbi seemed to be able to communicate with them externally through the clone, as Mito nor Kushina has ever shown such a skill. "How are you able to communicate with us in such a manner? Shouldn't the seal prevent your being from escaping Naruto?"

" **That implies that I want to escape, but I understand your hesitance. The seal sealing me inside of Naruto was designed to gradually infuse my chakra into the kid's network over time so the body could be acclimated to my vast power when he was old enough to truly use it. All he had to do to make this was use my chakra in its purest form to form a clone that serves as a receiver for me to be able to interact with the world without escaping it. Does that ease your worries?"**

"A little, although talking to the creature that destroyed our village not less than a decade ago is less than ideal."

" **Understandable, seeing as how wasn't in control at the time what with the Uchiha controlling me."**

That got everyone to shut up rather quickly.

(Kiiro) "Wait Kurama, are you telling them EVERYTHING?"

" **Everything pertinent to the situation – why?"**

(Kasshuko) "Danzo isn't here, and we can't sense any of his agents either – unless that four ANBU is someone we don't know."

Said fourth ANBU quickly dropped from the ceiling, allowing everyone to see her snake mask.

(Aka) "ANKO?! Well what do you know, I guess dating Kakashi does have its benefits."

Everyone in the room chortled while Inu's sweatdropped.

Hiruzen was exchanging money with Weasel and Crow.

(Aka) "Seriously, there was a bet for that? I only set them up a few months ago."

Hiruzen frowned and returned some money back to Weasel.

(Aka) "I'm pretty sure they haven't slept together yet."

Crow gave some money back to Weasel.

(Aka) "Good to know where you stand."

The blue haired Naruto coffed loudly into his fist, "If we are all done playing the betting version of 'Fuck, Marry, Kill,' can we move on, we have a lot of revelations to make today. Either Kurama starts talking, or I am plowing through the highlights."

" **Cool your jets, Ao. Also, just to get everyone acquainted, the red one is Aka, the blue one is Ao, brown is Kasshoku, green is Midori, and yellow Kiiro – he's the one usually in charge of the main body. We will address the technicalities of this later."**

Inoichi and Tsunade calmed down slightly from that.

Kurama clapped his hands together, " **So, getting this out the way. I did not attack the village willingly. But before I go any further, I'm going to be spilling a few S-Rank secrets and creating a few in turn. Hiruzen?"**

Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at Hiruzen in worry, but the Hokage looked at the Naruto in understanding, "How much do they know?"

" **Everything, but they do not blame you for keeping that information from them. They understood the risks of being privy to that particular secret. But what about the rest?"**

Hiruzen looked around at his Shinobi Council, noting that Shikaku and Tsume had a look that indicated that they were at least partially aware of what was about to be spoken. Granted, Kiiro's real face gave it away – he looks too much like his father.

Hiruzen sighed, "What… Kurama… will reveal right now must never leave this room. In fact, ANBU – set up the privacy seals."

Said ANBU did just that. After they were done, Hiruzen gave Kurama the all clear nod.

" **The only time a jinchūriki is ever genuinely vulnerable to their bijū escaping them without manipulating the seal is during labor. My second jinchūriki, Kushina Uzumaki, was in labor on the day I was released. Her husband, Minato Namikaze…"**

Shock and awe were clearly evident on everyone's face in the room safe for those already aware of this.

"… **was at her side the whole time while** **Biwako Sarutobi and her midwife assistants delivered Naruto with the ANBU guard near by. The delivery was successfully made without any risk on Kushina's part, as I was incapable of releasing myself in case. Have my chakra almost emerge from Kushina and harm her? Yes. But actually escape? Her seal was too good to allow that. In the moment of peace right after Naruto was born but before he was passed to Minato, an Uchiha utilizing an ability granted by a Mangekyō Sharingan or its Eternal variant…"**

That got a rise out of Mikoto and curiosity from the rest.

"… **and killed all the guards and midwives. In case you're wondering why Minato nor the barrier jutsu was unable to stop him, the Uchiha was using a rare ability of the Mangekyō called the Kamui, which granted him a near flawless form of intangibility, as well as minor teleportation."**

The ninja present grudgingly had to admit that such an ability would indeed be difficult to counter or even anticipate, but the 'near' indicated some form of weakness that could be exploited.

" **The Uchiha – who later identified himself as Tobi - took Naruto hostage and threatened to kill him if Minato attempted to restore the Nine-Tails' seal, which was indeed damaged by my chakra trying to escape from Kushian. Minato was able to take Naruto back, only to discover** **explosive tags** **planted on him. Minato was forced to teleport away with the Hiraishin to keep Naruto safe, leaving Kushina behind with the false name Uchiha."**

Jiraiya caught that snarl, "You know who that Uchiha was?"

" **Indeed, but only because I was familiar with his chakra signature, however, mutated it was at the time because Kushina has met that person. The reveal will come at the end of the story so please wait."**

Jiraiya nodded in understanding, but Kurama now had Mikoto's, Crow's, and Weasel's undivided attention.

" **Tobi moved Kushina to a new location – the place where you found their bodies - and placed her under restraint while he took steps to further weaken the seal. As the seal was about to break, he used his** **Sharingan** **to enter her subconscious and place me under his control. The details are a little vague after that, but you know what happened afterward."**

It didn't take Kurama the use of his emotion sensing capabilities to know many in the room were wallowing in pity and sadness for what happened that night.

" **What I am about to tell you is something that only I am privy to, something that will cause a few of you here to not believe me. Things that I will say I have had corroborated or extrapolated through logic through Ao investigations."**

"Investigations?" asked Jiraiya.

Ao just smirked and played with his hair, "I am very good at getting into places I don't belong."

Kurama chuckled, " **Seriously Hiruzen, keep an eye on Ao. Of the seven personas in Naruto's head, he is the most fluid and chaotic."**

Kurama sighed, " **Most of what people assumed about that night did happen. Minato fought Tobi, finally beating him after he figured out Kamui's weakness which, in case anyone is curious, relies on the fact that Tobi had to be tangible to attack Minato."**

"Of course," nodded Shikaku, "all Minato had to do was wait for Tobi to go solid and land a hit. Nearly flawless my ass."

" **Granted, it would require a ninja of great speeds to take advantage of this minute weakness, but we digress. During his attack, Minato was able to brand Tobi with the Hirashin formula, allowing him to teleport to Tobi's location whenever he wanted. He immediately did do to strike again, this time to place a** **Contract Seal** **on Tobi that removed me from his control. Injured and deprived of his best weapon, Tobi fled, vowing that it was only a temporary setback. Ones free from his control, I attempted to flee, but Minato and Kushina wouldn't allow that. Unfortunately, I was… not in complete control of myself at the time. Even after being released from his control, I was still rather… animalistic in my behavior. As such, in my state, I fought back, just as your reports and accounts confirmed."**

Hiruzen filed that little information away. Many didn't know that it was literally impossible to remove Minato's markers ones place unless they were willing to remove the skin layer several times to do so. If Minato placed it in a difficult enough spot and Tobi believed that the technique was dead with him, this was an opportunity in the making.

Kurama prepared himself for the half-truths he was about to tell. Kiiro wanted one of them to tell the story and information, but Kurama argued that he was a known threat who would be taken seriously regardless of circumstance. Plus, he was an unknown, in that, no one knew his tells or mannerism to catch him in the act of lying. If there was anyone who could take advantage of Father's knowledge convincingly, it was Kurama.

" **Now for what you don't know. Kushina offered to have the Nine-Tails sealed back in her once again so that it would die with her. Believing that my power would be needed in the future to face Tobi, Minato rejected this idea, deciding instead to seal me into Naruto using the** **Eight Trigrams Seal** **. Unfortunately, because I was too powerful to contain within the body of an infant, Minato used the** **Dead Demon Consuming Seal** **to cut its chakra in half, leaving only its** **Yang** **chakra. When I realized – un my enraged state - what they were planning, I tried to kill Naruto, forcing Minato and Kushina to use their own bodies to shield him. While Kushina had some final words with Naruto, Minato gave the** **key** **to the seal he was about to use to** **one** **of his summons and then sent him to** **Jiraiya** **. At least… that's what Minato expected to happen."**

"Wha… what actually happened?"

" **How many of you here are familiar with the story of the Sage of the Six Paths?"**

Kurama noted that only a few hands were raised.

" **Stort for another time then. While I won't go into details since they aren't important right now, my father - Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki – faced a demon greater than anything you have ever experienced. The demon went by many names: The One-Eyed God [Ame no Hitotsu no Kami], Datara, the Nation-Building God [Kunizukuri no Kami]. Father preferred a much simpler title: the Ten-Tails [Jūbi]."**

The adult's jaws nearly dislocated from the shock, which Kurama understood. Of all the stories they did know, the Jubi was something that managed to remain hidden.

" **In the final battle between the Ten-Tails and** **Hagoromo** **and** **his** **brother – yes, he had a brother, moving on - they managed to defeat the beast by sealing its body into the moon and its chakra within Hagoromo, making him the first** **jinchūriki** **. This act, along with many other great deeds throughout his lifetime, resulted in Hagoromo becoming revered as the** **Sage of Six Paths** **. However, knowing that his death would unleash the Ten-Tails back into the world to continue its rampage and reclaim the chakra he had spread among humanity, Hagoromo separated the monster's chakra from its body and used… a jutsu of his… to create the** **tailed beasts** **[bijū]."**

"Wait… are you telling us…" chocked out Tsunade.

" **The bijū were never demons or monsters; if anything, we were created to maintain and balance peace, which was more of a byproduct of our duty to ensure the Jūbi never had a chance to reform. Its why no bijū can ever be killed: we dissipate for a time, but in the end, as long as at least one bijū is alive, the rest will reform with time. Ironically, the only one who came close to utilizing us for our intended purpose was Hashirama since he** **distributed us amongst the new villages to stabilize the balance of power between them. However, Hashirama's usage of us was forceful rather than earning our voluntary cooperation, so e failed on that account."**

"I am sorry, but does this have to do with what happened during the sealing?" asked Inoichi as he raised his hand.

" **More then you realize. You see, while Minato had the right idea to separate my Yin and Yang chakra, he was unaware of the task I carried as a bijū. As such, not even the Shinigami was able to assist him in dividing my chakra. Hell, it was so bad, that enough of my actual chakra leaked out and spread far and wide into the land. Something to look into when we are done since there was likely enough to be gathered and sealed into another."**

"Wait… jinchūriki can be made like that?" interrupted Mikoto.

" **More like pseudo-jinchūriki but I doubt my brothers and sisters have enough excess chakra for something like that to happen. Still, Minato's attempt failed, and right as he and Kushina were about to pass on, the Shinigami sealed my entire being into the infant Naruto. As you can imagine, Minato's fears were justified."**

Tsunade's hand went to her mouth, "Naruto's condition…"

" **A byproduct I assure you, one I had complete control over. Say what you will about me, but even I am not monstrous to kill a child in such a manner. Taking advantage of the fact the seal leaked chakra into the infant's body, for both of our survival, with a heavy hand, I pushed through more chakra then Minato anticipated, all to strengthen the vessel and ensure our survival. The personas are something else though."**

"So he does have DID?" Inoichi asked.

" **If only it were so simple. Like when my father created my brethren from one being, so did this personas come into existence from the soul that was to be Naruto Namikaze Uzamaki. By the time I discovered them inside the boy's mind, the cuttings had grown into their own separate and different trees, who with my chakra actually, became full souls. Rather then one Naruto, there were seven with rightful claims to existence."**

"Wait, wait, wait… I am no expert in chakra, but isn't creating a soul, you know, impossible?" asked Shikaku incredulously.

" **With ninjutsu? Yes. With Ninshū and with dad's techniques? Not impossible, but difficult unless one had something to work with already. He did mold the bijū from nothing but chakra, and we feel that we have souls."**

"Philosophy aside," interrupted Hiashi, "this revelation, while impressive and something to test out afterward, it is not what I believe is the secret you wish to tell us."

" **Ah yes, thank you for that; I was drawn in by my musings. In any case, Tobi's identity. Something many aren't aware of is that while Naruto is a true jinchūriki, Mito and Kushina were merely my containers: they never used my chakra for they were literally my jailers. As such, I would always try my hardest to… loosen my restriction. With Kushina, I did so enough that I could get glimpses into the world and even pursue her memories at times. Combine that with my sensory capabilities, it wasn't hard to realize who Tobi was as Kushina herself has met the man in the past through Minato."**

"Minato knew Tobi?" asked a curious Hiruzen.

 _Time for the bomb to drop._

" **Knew him? Minato TAUGHT Tobi."**

"WHAT?" shouted everyone in the room, ANBU included.

Kurama stared an Inu, " **Come on Kakashi, haven't you figured it out yet? His name isn't that different from before he died."**

That finally triggered Inu, causing his control to falter, making him fall to the ground, "No… not him… anyone but him…"

Kurama grimaced, " **Indeed Kakashi. The man who gave you his eye was corrupted to become the thing that nearly destroyed this village. Tobi is Obito Uchiha."**

While the rest of the clan heads were shocked into a stupor – the Uchiha in the room more than others – Anko quickly ran to the paralyzed and grieving Kakashi for moral support.

Both Jiraiya and Tsunade were shocked by this, while Hiruzen pushed onward, "Can you guess as to why Obito would do this? You seem to imply someone forced him to do this."

" **Indeed. Only one other Uchiha managed to figure out how to use his Sharingan to force me into his commando, and he was only able to do so because of has an advantage other Uchiha did not."**

"You mean…"

" **Yes… somehow, Obito was found and trained by Madara Uchiha to be his successor. It's the only way to explain how Obito received such advanced training and the technique to control me."**

"Forgive me for interrupting," Hiashi began, "but isn't Madara dead?"

" **He is now, what it being a century since his birth and all, but him surviving against Hashirama? Possible, but costly."**

"HOW?" shouted Tsume, "What, do the Uchiha have a way to cheat death or something?"

Tsume joked but quickly realized that neither Mikoto nor Kurama was laughing. "Oh Kami…"

" **While Mikoto can probably tell you the story of Rai and Naori Uchiha later, I will explain. While the Mangekyō Sharingan gives each Uchiha some form of unique abilities with each variation, two abilities are always present in all Sharingan users: Izanami and Izanagi. I would like to remind everyone here that those are Clan Secrets for the Uchiha with a good reason. Basically, for the cheap cost of going blind in one eye, an Uchiha can use genjutsu to either trap an opponent in a mental time loop or alter their personal and world reality for one minute at max. I believe Madara used the Izanagi in a timed manner, undoing his death at the cost of one of his proud eyes. I don't know what he has been doing since then, but he must have suuccumbed to the ravages of time at this point."**

Everyone present looked at Mikoto for confirmation. "It is as Kurama says. Only an Uchiha with the Mangekyō Sharingan, and yes, the eye will be lost. Our text indicates that even trying to replace it with another will simply pass the blindness on to the new eye. Thankfully, there hasn't been a usage of either technique since the since before the Second War since no Uchiha is willing to sacrifice their eye for it anymore. Besides, there are no Mangekyō users in the clan - at all."

This shocked Kurama, " **Truly? In a clan of hundreds, there are none who have the Mangekyō? Either the Curse of Hatred has weakened or the current batch of Uchiha are too prideful to ever consider anyone close to them."**

"Actually, I am to thank for that," added Mikoto.

" **Explain."**

"While I can't confirm it, myself as well as Itachi and Shisui, have come to a conclusion that an Uchiha must witness the death of someone close to them, and not in fact kill their closest loved one as we have been led to believe. Is this true?"

" **It is. The shock of seeing someone an Uchiha loves die - or appear to die - triggers a chemical reaction in the brain that interacts with the eyes and activating the Mangekyō Sharingan, but it also alters the Uchiha mental chemistry. Basically, that same capacity for love turns into hate, which is only strengthened by the hate that is already present within said Uchiha."**

Crow snapped his fingers, "That's why Naruto asked that question about the memory function of the eye! The more hate we memorized with the Sharingan, the more open we left ourselves to the detrimental nature of the Mangekyō Sharingan."

"Wait," started Inoichi, "are you telling us that by continually sending Uchiha to battles, hell, even ostracising them intentionally or not, we are creating living time bombs?"

"It for this reason why I have been making sure that no two Uchiha – no matter how distant – are either in the same team in a mission with a high probability of death. The ones of the Police Force have been conditioned through training and live to see their coworkers as nothing more than that. Strict guidelines are made that no friends or family work together. I am not too sure about ANBU, but since Itachi and Shisui are the only ones in it, my fears are alleviated."

" **As they should be, Mikoto. If anyone here is deserving of the Mangekyō and has the mentality to actually resist its effects, it's those two. Unfortunately, I believe you're already too late. Am I right… Shisui?"**

Crow flinched in shock while everyone stared in confusion, "How did you…"

" **I can sense emotions, young Uchiha – I felt your reactions to my statements. When did it happen?"**

Crow slumped in defeat, "Last year. A dear friend and rival of mine died after withholding his aid in a moment of envy and weakness during a mission. His death was recorded as accidental, but still…"

Crow took off his mask, revealing Shisui, whose Sharingan morphed into a four-point pinwheel to everyone's surprise.

" **What did you get for the power lottery?"**

"Kotoamatsukami."

Kurama (faked) a facepalm, " **Oh for Kami's sake, what is about the most peaceful and noble of people getting the most dangerous of abilities?"**

"Pardon me Kurama," interjected Mikoto, "But what is the Kotoamatsukami? It is not mentioned in the clan texts."

" **Probably because Madara burned all references to it away in rage that he didn't get such a power. Kotoamatsukami is basically the ultimate mental manipulation genjutsu in existence. The technique allows the user to enter the mind of any individual within their field of view, and manipulate them by giving them false experiences, making it seem as if they were doing things of their own free will. Basically, as long as his Sharingan is hidden from your sight, Shisui can manipulate anyone to do anything in his vicinity, and the victim wouldn't be the wiser. Hell, he could even place mental commands into a user that they wouldn't even question and carry them out to the end of their lives. In the hands of CERTAIN parties, such a power…"**

Hiruzen quickly got where this was going, "Shisui, is there anyone outside this room who knows of your eye?"

"No," said the Uchiha as he shook his head, "no one is even aware I achieved them, not even Fugaku. I haven't even bothered training with it since prolonged use leads to ocular degradation."

" **There's actually a way around that, but that's not here or there."**

"In that case," commanded Hiruzen, "Shusui's ability is now officially an SS-Class secret. Even acknowledging the existence of this fact is grounds for execution. No one – and I mean no one – is to divulge this secret in any manner, including you Shisui. Even I as a Hokage will be able to divulge this information to anyone without at least half of the people present here being with me to confirm it."

"YES HOKAGE" replied everyone in the room sans Kurama.

" **Basically, make sure Danzo doesn't catch wind of it. Gotcha ya."**

"If only it were so simple…" started Hiruzen.

" **Before you get lost in thought, I should mention that a Mangekyō can't be transplanted into a non-Uchiha without killing them. Kakashi was lucky since he only got a basic Sharingan and his body will eventually acclimate and activate its Mangekyō, but that is it."**

Inu looked, "I can have the Mangekyō?"

Kurama looked at the struggling shinobi with sadness, " **As long an appropriate mental response has been triggered in the transplantee, it's only a matter of time until the eye adjusts to the user and becomes a Mangekyō. Knowing the life you had, and how long you had it, I give you four more years for you to activate it, and two years after that to actually use it multiple times. Seeing as it's Obito's and would have the same ability, you'll have the long-range version of Kamui, which can transport targets anywhere in the user's line of sight to an alternate dimension."**

While Kakashi processed this information, Kurama snapped his fingers, " **Oh wait, one more thing. Kakashi, can you think of ANYONE who would cause Obito to achieve his own Mangekyō? Something must have caused him to snap and turn his back on Konoha, and activating that accursed eye is the only thing that comes to mind."**

Kakashi thought about it, "The only person who could cause such a reaction would be…"

Kakashi froze in the realization, "…if he saw Rin die."

Hiruzen and Jiraiya visibly winced as they reached a similar conclusion.

"Something you want to share, Sensei?" asked a confused Tsunade.

"Obito's teammate and crush Rin Nohara was kidnapped sometime after the destruction of the Kannabi Bridge. Kakashi was part of the team of trackers send to track her down, but when he alone found her, she revealed to him that she as turned into the jinchūriki for the Three-Tailed Turtle…"

" **Isobu, just FYI."**

"She also revealed that she was marked with the Forbidden Individual Curse Tag to prevent her from suicide as well as a faulty sealing matrix that would have caused her to explode violently. Unable to take her own life to save the village, Rin asked Kakashi to kill her, but Kakashi couldn't bring herself to do it. As various jōnin and Anbu-level Kiri shinobi arrived to take Rin back, probably to remove the bijū from her to place it – him? – him, into Yagura Karatachi, the Fourth Mizukage. Unfortunately, in the ensuing combat between Kakashi and the shinobi, Rin managed to get in front on Kakashi's Chidori, killing herself. Kakashi's account ends there since he passed out from the shock. Account made by later arriving shinobi found him in the field surrounded by corpses of the Kiri ninja. He was taken to recover while Rin was buried in the village."

While everyone processes this information, Kurama interrupted, " **That would do it, especially if Obito only arrived at the last moment and saw Kakashi kill Rin without context to the whole situation. This sounds almost like something Madara would do: he may not have had the Kotoamatsukami, but he was still a genius with his genjutsu and mind control with his Eternal Mangekyō."**

"You mentioned that before," asked Shibi Aburame, "can we assume that Eternal Sharingan is the final form of the Mangekyō?"

" **It is and its actually the easiest form of the Sharingan to achieve in this day and age. All it requires is that two Uchiha with close blood ties – preferably siblings – transplant their Mangekyō Sharingan into each other's eyes. The designs will merge, but the user will still maintain their original abilities, albeit stronger and possibly with some of the ones from the donor. The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan only true benefit is that it allows the user to use all the Sharingan's abilities without suffering any negative side-effects from using them, the only exception being the Izanagi and Izanami. It also allows the holder of said eye to be able to read the Stone Tablet created by the Sage hidden underneath the Uchiha Clan compound – well, most of it anyway. You need the Rinnegan to read it all completely, and even the basic Mangekyō can give you a decent chunk of it. I would recommend taking me with you to confirm it hasn't been altered in any way; knowing Madara, it's more than likely."**

Hiruzen turned to Mikoto slowly, "Is that true?"

"The stone tablet is hidden underneath the compound, but its mostly monumental since no one has been able to read it. On the other hand, this Eternal variant of the Sharingan is something we have never heard of before and no has had the Mangekyō for some time now. Its requirements would have made it very difficult to achieve during the Warring Clan Era, what with the limited medical and surgical knowledge they had. This isn't even considering the odds of Uchiha's back then being charitable enough to give away their eyes even to their closest loved one. The reading of the tablet would have to be done when Fugaku is outside the compound at night, since it would require both Shuisui and Naruto being present there."

" **Easy enough to achieve at a later point in time. Look, you can all debate these revelations at a later point and time. Is there anything you else you would like to address to me?"**

While the clan heads checked each other for any confirmation, Jiraiya raised his hand, "Quick question about the Naruto Septuplets…"

Midori chortled but the other's managed to either smirk or smile at that name.

"…is there any particular difference in regards if a Naruto inhabits the main body or a clone?"

Kurama checked with the Narutos who were all equally confused, " **We don't know. Why do you ask?"**

"Well, I am no doctor or spiritualist, but you said each Naruto is a fully developed soul, right?"

Nods around.

"And looking at them without the henge, each one looks different from each other – height, color, body type, personality – but can still pass off as siblings. My question is that when a different personality inhabits the MAIN body and not a shadow clone, does the DNA also change? If so, wouldn't that mean that there are legally seven people sharing one body?"

Fulls stop.

Hiruzen – in actual shock – looks at a bunch of flabbergasted Narutos. "Well?"

"I've usually in charge of the main body and its always been me who has gone to Tsunade for our check-ups. She's only ever tested my blood." said Kiiro.

Tsume snickered a little.

Tsunade sighed, "We'll confirm later but honestly I doubt there would that much of a difference. I mean, your are an Uzumaki; they are the most stubborn and longest living people I've ever met."

Tsume actually laughed, finally catching everyone's attention.

"Something you want to share, Tsume?" asked Hiruzen confused.

"Well, all the Naruto's are Kushina's and Minato's kids just with different parts of the DNA dominant, right?"

"Yeah…" said Kiiro worryingly.

"So, technically, there are seven Namikaze-Uzumaki in the village."

"I don't get the joke," said Hiashi.

Shikaku slammed his head into the table, "Oh for Kami's sake…"

Tsume pointed and laughed, "He got it."

The Naruto – even the stoic Kasshuko – started to sweat.

Jiraiya of all people, was next to get it and smiled at Naruto, "You lucky bastard," before quickly taking out a notebook and rapidly started writing something down.

Hiruzen and others were still lost, so he asked, "You want to fill us in on the joke?"

Tsume smiled innocently, "Well, the kid would have been applied into the CRA eventually ones his heritage came to light in the future. But this way, each Naruto gets a wife for himself, and the conditions are met, but in reality, Naruto will still get a harem of woman!"

After that Tsume fell on the ground laughing herself silly.

Everyones – including Kurama and the Narutos – jaws dropped at that.

The CRA – Clan Restoration Act – is something Kurama admitted to the personas was an actual thing in Konoha but was rarely used since clans rarely reached such dangerously low member levels.

In itself, the act was actually a fascinating document historically, since it was something both Hashirama and Madara, two founders of the village, and their advisors have readily agreed upon and put the most amount of legal oversight into too.

At the time, there was no issue for the practise during the time of its making, since the Senju brothers – when there were four of them – were a product of one father and different mothers. And while it did come off as the ultimate male fantasy, it was simply a codifying the practice of polygamy to prevent abuse amongst the participants and make sure that those who actually deserved the chance to provide plentiful children would have the opportunity, all for the sake of preserving the clan.

Ironically, the most terrifying thing about the CRA is not so much that it exists, but more so who wrote. When Tobirama – who was part of the team making it – realized that the CRA would apply to kunoichi who was the last of their clan, none of the men present had the necessary feminine perspective to ensure fairness for the women the act would apply to – willingly or not – due to a lifetime of nonstop warfare, they were at a loss.

In a moment of expert foresight – and probably stupidity – the Senju and Uchiha men present at the making of the act verified that the proposal required mutual consent from both genders, set clear and present boundaries, made the meeting requirements clear and uncompromising, signed it, left a large part blank, and handed it off to the closest high ranking women on both their clans to finish it. Their reasoning? Having any man present at THAT particular meeting would not end well because they would either be killed by angry woman or try to negotiate a better deal for themselves [men].

They may have been shinobi, but no man is ever stupid enough to challenge their wife.

As such, Madara Uchiha alongside Hashirama and Tobirama Senji had unintentionally given a carte de blanche for a historical act of gender equality that in actuality blatantly discriminated against men. Not only would the women involved be given the potential to give birth to strong children with poddible Kekkei Genkais, but the law also granted them all manner of government perks, and placed significant duties and obligations on the father of any children. This also applied if the mother was the last clan member, almost turning all men involved in that particular harem into house-wifes (duty wise) and bread-winners to take care of the children since the mother was at the biggest risk and was the only one capable of conceiving. Sure, the issue of continuous pregnancies and somehow stimulating multiple births – before that was even possible – on the women were addressed in the document.

While Madara was horrified realizing what he had allowed happening – the Senju suspected he was possibly sexist – the brothers for all for it, since despite knowing that every man was a pervert deep down, themselves included, no one in their right mind would ever sanction such a barbaric practise in real life without some damn good reasons and rules in play.

There was a very good reason Jiraiya of the Sannin had never gone near the CRA, even at his most drunk and horny, despite his formidable reputation and the potential of his children inherited his talents.

Thankfully, for the shinobi, the CRA was mostly boiled down to three main tenants that were to be followed. First, the shinobi and kunoichi have the right to deny high-risk missions as their lives were valuable. Secondly, they are encouraged to rake multiple spouses to ensure the bloodline as passed down. Despite the benefits the women get, there were some decent perks for the men as well, so most chose to get multiple spouses even if it wasn't necessarily mandatory. Third, said shinobi could join the Special Forces – ie. ANBU and the like – as long as they had the permission of their guardian or the Hokage, as well as if they were physically capable of doing so (that was more for the woman if anything else).

On the plus side, the making of the CRA opened the doorway for Konoha's equivalent of the Equal Rights Amendment and Same-Sex Marriage Act. Konohagakure could proudly state that among all the other hidden villages, they were the only ones who treated everyone – civilian and shinobi alike - equally under the law regardless of race, gender, national origin, color, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or other characteristics, without privilege, discrimination or bias.

And yes, same-sex couples in the village had the same accompanying rights and responsibilities as opposite-sex couples.

The legalization of recreational drugs was still ongoing, but Konoha was easily the easiest village to live in and find work. It allows made it a prime target for other ninjas and civilians to desert their village due to persecution or bigotry against them for something they couldn't control, which the Ninja Council and Hokage were entirely for it.

If the other villages didn't want skilled workers or shinobi, who were they to stop them from coming to the village? In the long run, it was profitable for the village and made things run smoothly.

Unfortunately, the CRA was never designed for someone in Naruto's position nor did any of the Naruto's even start considerating the notion of dating or settling down with someone despite their mental ages.

As such, the realization that each Naruto could potentially be different and in fact be legally classified as separate entities opened the mental floodgates.

While the rest of the ninja present had various reactions – either pure shock or laughing at Narutos 'problem' – the Narutos themselves reaction could all be summed up by the same thought they were all having

 _KAMI F*****G DAMMIT!_


End file.
